Winter Heart
by Oceanborn8
Summary: My version of season 3, where heroes don't win in the end.
1. Chapter 1

_PROLOGUE_

 _Lightning and thunder reigned over the dark tower. She stood elegantly, in the middle of the dark woods, being older and mightier than any tree there. She had a root, and branches as well, and a heart, producing negative energy for the Witches, and for herself, because every living creature in this part of Magix lives for herself. The Moon is her source of power. She is full tonight. So the heart of Cloud Tower pounds and pounds, lets the magic flow in her veins._

A young woman with flowing silver hair stood at the high balcony, her hands rested on the cold stone. The Moon had a pleasant effect on her as well,she could feel the raindrops touching her hands turn into little snowflakes without much effort. Her energy was increased, but it was such a calm and uneventful day that it made her a bit restless. Suddenly the silence was broken, as the door to the balcony opened. Her sister silently came towards her, shuddering at the cold air, which had no such effect on the older woman at all.

"Valtor said we shall meet him at Griffin's office", said Darcy casually. They had this meetings almost everyday, and Icy did not believe it was getting them anywhere. They were here for some time now, they had managed to take the students and the staff under their control and Griffin was in the dungeons. "Let's have the meeting then," Icy told her, stepping out of the balcony to her room, which was no warmer than outside.

They met with Stormy at the corridor, she was appearantly just out of bed, her hair was messier than ever and she had a restless expression. Icy remembered that her sister had her periods every full moon, so she did not risk making a comment about her carelessness for her looks, when they are about to see the highest dark magician in the realm.

When they entered the room, Valtor was looking out of window with an over serious expression on his face. He did not turn to face the witches for a couple of minutes. Finally he took off his maroon jacket and, laying it to his desk, took a seat. After he did, the witches also sat down.

-I have news for you. You may not like it very much.

Stormy and Darcy seemed a bit disoriented, but did not say a word. Icy felt herself restless all of a sudden, something about this man made her very tense. "About what?" she asked, trying not to sound bothered.

-I have explained to you before that my goal is to destroy the Company of Light and achieve my destiny as the most powerful wizard of this realm. The title is mine by right, since I have the Dragon Fire in me.. I have also explained I need a witch as my companion to help me balance and control my powers. The Ancestral Witches made it clear to me that I can not be alone. It was a prophecy that I shall be accompanied by the most powerful witch in Cloud Tower.

He stopped there, looking at Icy almost nervously. Even a second had not passed until he saw the young witch stand up and look at him unbelievingly.

-You can not mean? But how, she is from the Company of Light! Will you make her an ally? After everything she has done?

She was not aggressive, her voice had a calm anger to it. Darcy and Stormy were also unhappy to hear this, but they did not interrupt their older sister.

-Besides, she will never, not in a million years, come back to you!

"I know Griffin better than any of you" Valtor interrupted, showing Icy back to her seat, but she stood still. "She does not have the heart to resist the temptation. And if she does, I will make her surrender, even if that means destroying her free will completely. I will never forgive her for betraying me and-"

"And yet, you are making her the most powerful witch in this world, you are making her your equal, _you,_ who has the Dragon Fire in him!" Her voice had become very loud by now and Valtor did not like the sound at all.

"What if I prove myself stronger than Griffin?"

At these words, Stormy stopped playing with her hair and started to observe her sister silently. Darcy was as cautious as ever, and her aura got darker with jealousy as Icy spoke the words she would not dare to speak in Valtor's presence. Valtor seemed not surprised, but slightly annoyed. "You are twenty one years old."

"I have started a war against your enemies at nineteen."

Valtor's expression did not change, he just stared at the witch for a couple of minutes. "Go to bed, ladies. I have work to do."

Icy was the first to leave. Darcy got up slowly and waited for Stormy to make a move out of the door, so she could have a word with Valtor. She was about to ask him what would become of _them_ if he took Griffin as his companion, and if he is sure that there are no other options beside her. She could not ask any of this because Valtor did not even attempted an eye contact. So she gave up and both sisters went to their separate bedrooms.

Miss Griffin was sitting on the cold stone of the dump dungeon of Cloud Tower. She had been locked up here before two years ago, when the little lizard queen and her sisters took over her school for a short period. This time, her capturer was her former lover and partner in crime. She had betrayed him, for her freedom.

 _Liar._

She shrugged at the word. Where did it come from? It did not sound like a human, but if it had a gender that would be female. Suddenly she felt the heart pounding inside the floor, the walls, all around her. _Cloud Tower._ This was still her school, she was connected with her heart. And now the tower was speaking to her, acting like her subconscious mind, trying to make her see the reality of things. _You do not have any freedom. You basically sold your soul to Faragonda._

No. She had followed her conscience. She did not want to fight against the fairies. Because why? Was she afraid? Staying with Valtor would lead to her downfall, ultimately. But, had she not betrayed her Ancestors by standing hand in hand with the fairies?

One thing was clear to her. She did not regret any decision she made. Even with her clean conscience, she felt like she is not going to get any sleep tonight.

Icy was inside her bed, in her solitary room. She had lighted some candles to calm down her nerves a bit. Now she was inhaling the scent of sage and mint, but she could not calm down still.

It was going to be a sleepless night for her.

 _Thank you for reading, please leave a review!_


	2. Chapter 2

Valtor had never been a man of passion. He was raised to be cold and calculating, ready to do anything necessary to achieve his goals. The next step to take was clear, and easy to do for him. He had to manipulate Griffin to be his partner again. It was vital for him to have an experienced witch by his side when everything is done. The heir to the throne of Domino was the only one he had to kill. Then he had to absorb her Dragon Fire and unite it with the part of the flame which existed in him. He would be complete. The prophecy would come true. He would become what he was born to be, and he would rule in the name of the Ancestral Witches. But all of this was also terribly dangerous. The unlimited dragon fire energy could be too hard for him to control. So the partner, with the help of a magical contract signed before, would be there to balance and tame this energy. Griffin was the perfect choice because she was a true scholar, and had great control over her powers, and she never, ever panicked. An inexperienced witch as a partner would lead to a disaster. If she would lose control, she would probably be burnt to the ground, and that was the most pleasant of the possibilities.

There was something terribly wrong with this seemingly perfect plan. His head agreed, but there was a bitter, dusty feeling in his heart about all this. He _hated_ Griffin. He remembered how mad the Ancestral Witches kept getting when he acted with his emotions. But he hated that coward, betrayer. He did not want her as a partner, he wanted her dead.

And then, there was Icy. She was the reason he was free now. He remembered how she took the news earlier. He was not surprised by her reaction. He was expecting this outrage. Day by day, it was becoming more visible to him how incredibly proud this young girl was. Valtor suddenly had the idea that Icy would prefer to be on her own forever, if Griffin became superior in his eyes. He had no idea where she would go, but she would certainly not stay.

Thinking this made him restless all of a sudden. He was getting used to her presence. He was getting used to all of the three, but for some reason Icy stood in a different place for him than the other two. And why was that, exactly? He could not answer this, and it made him angry. He liked it when things were obvious and clear. He had no time for complications.

First of all, he liked how she was not afraid of him. The other two were always nervous in his presence; they would play with their hair and avoid eye contact. Icy looked into his eyes directly, she was not afraid to disagree with him, and she believed herself to be her equal, even though she never said it out loud. And she shared his desire to achieve something. She was completely focused and would go to any lengths to get whatever she wants. They were very similar in all these, Valtor thought.

But she was also incredibly, relentlessly cold. She had passion but it was frozen, her every move was carefully planned and controlled. Valtor, on the other hand, felt himself like a volcano, ready to explode. He had spent seventeen years inside that damned block of ice, but his mind was on fire all the time. It was literally hell. That was, until another block of ice came for his rescue.

Valtor got up and poured himself a glass of wine. The hour was getting late and he still had no plan for tomorrow. Thinking of the old woman made him uncomfortable and he drank the wine quickly. Then he poured another one. Then another.

Then he was dreaming about something colder to drink..

Icy tossed and turned in her bed for two hours. At one point, she had given up trying to sleep. Even though her body was very tired, her mind was incredibly alert and irritable. She was thinking of what Valtor had revealed and almost regretted leaving his room so soon. She got up and checked herself in the mirror. The sight instantly put her in a better mood. She did not think she was perfect, her breasts were not that incredible, in comparison to Darcy's C cup, and she did not have the gorgeous lips of Stormy. But she was the tallest and the fittest, and her pale and cold exterior was her trademark.

She suddenly craved ice cream, and having nothing to do, decided to go ahead with it. She had no worries about weight gain, she was always physically very active. A minute later she was walking the dark, gloomy corridors of Cloud Tower, heading to the kitchen. She passed by some students who looked like sleepwalking zombies. At the sight of her, they stopped whispering and stood ready to take an order. But Icy did not pay any attention. She lighted the purple lights when she arrived at the kitchen. In Cloud Tower, there were no white or yellow lights that hurt the eye. The lamps shone in a purple, sometimes maroon color, which helps you to see in front of you, while setting the right mood for witching.

She was slowly eating the vanilla ice cream with her mind elsewhere, when she heard some footsteps. Someone was also hungry, and Icy was surprised to see who that someone was. Valtor blinked in confusion at the sight of her. Icy also realized his eyes were sleepy and he could hardly stand still. Was he drinking?

"Why are you not sleeping?"

It was an harmless, ordinary question. Required an ordinary answer.

"I wanted some ice cream."

Valtor stood silence for a minute, and smiled to her almost warmly.

"We had quite a conversation earlier. I just hope that, there are no hard feelings?"

Icy put down the spoon and got up, moving towards the door.

"There are no 'feelings' in the first place. Partners in crime do not have to be sentimental."

Valtor moved closer to her and pointed in the direction of his office.

"I want to continue our conversation."

Icy blinked. Was this an order? It was past midnight, and he was inviting her to his room. Could he have something in mind? But no, there were hundreds of young girls in this tower, all belonging to him. He wouldn't dare to disrespect her like this. On the other hand…

She agreed. As they were walking, Icy silently observed the man. She was not the type who gets easily impressed, she clearly did not fall for anyone, but this was an incredibly beautiful man. His porcelain skin, sharp cheekbones and blue eyes were quite a sight. Darcy was already crazy for his looks which made Icy annoyed, she could not stand her acting like a lovesick teen. Stormy kept things more to herself, but there was no way she was not impressed.

The thing Icy was impressed with was not his cheekbones or elegance, but his aura. He had the spark of the dragon flame, but it was darker. Darker than the spark she had stolen from Bloom. This was something different, and it was so attractive to her on a spiritual level. She was covered in ice, inside and out, and she needed the fire like oxygen.

Being near Valtor was making her more complete, more powerful, more real.

She had to be his companion.

They entered the office, and Icy remembered that she was still angry about the thing with Griffin. _She_ stood in the way. Had she cease to exist, then she could be the top witch in Cloud Tower, be Valtor's partner, and balance the fire with her ice. Even the thought of it made her breathless. No such thing had ever occured in history. Fire always clashed with ice, but what if they were united?

Valtor took off his jacket. Icy was used to this movement by now, and it was a pleasant sight since his tight shirt made his hard muscles visible. Then she realized she was wearing a really short, laced nightgown. She was not the kind to get embarassed, but this really was inappropriate.

"Valtor, I do not accept being inferior to Griffin. Whatever you say will not change my mind. "

She felt herself really daring all of a sudden. She came really close to him and put her hand to his chest.

"I am Belladonna's heir. Does that mean nothing to you? The Dragon Fire is my destiny. I just came to realize that the way for it was not stealing it from a fairy, but merging with Him, instead."

Valtor could feel a chill on his chest, where her hand was resting. He recognized the passion in her voice since it was very similar to the core of his being.

"I can do this. I may be young, but I am the most powerful witch this tower ever produced. I am not asking you for this. _I will be your partner."_

How pathetic was that old, cowardly woman, compared to this? Valtor had never been impressed by a woman in his life. But this self confidence, the control she had over her voice, making it sound like cold steel. She was _really_ different from the other two.

"What about your sisters? Wouldn't they be a competition?"

She contemplated this for a minute.

"Just assuming you took me as your partner. If I suspect something sneaky of them, I would not hesitate to _rip their hearts right off their chests._

Valtor blinked. She had spoken very calmly but one could hear the passion beneath. This woman was not joking. If only she was more experienced, he would never, ever hesitate to sign the contract with her. But right now his mind was elsewhere. He was not thinking about his ultimate goal or anything about the future. He was completely focused on the present moment.

He wanted this girl.

He acted very quickly. He pushed her to the ground, placed himself over her. And then he stopped. He waited for her reaction. This girl deserved respect.

Feeling the dark fire aura around her, Icy was basically craving for the man on top of her. She whispered to him to continue, and closed her eyes, visualizing the great dragon. She wanted to surrender to his fiery breath. When he was inside her, it made her feel one with that fire, and the sensation was ecstatic. When she orgasmed, she realized this was her destiny. Valtor was _hers._

He was sharing the feeling of ecstacy while he was inside her, and could not open his eyes. This girl was the living incarnation of winter itself. Her aura fit with his, like a missing piece of a puzzle. This was her destiny. He needed this winter to survive.


	3. Chapter 3

" _The venom clamours of a jealous woman Poison more deadly than a mad-dog's tooth."_

 _-William Shakespeare_

After spending a year in Shadowhaunt, Darcy was grateful for her comfortable bed and her window, letting the soft wind and the moonlight in. Even for a witch of darkness, complete isolation from the source of light was too much. She was now looking through some teen witch magazines which belonged to the actual owner of this room, who was probably having a zombie nap in the basement. Usually, being alone and drinking herbal tea would put Darcy in a calm, almost tranquil mood, but this night was an exception. She couldn't help feeling anxious about her future, and Stormy's too, who was careless enough to actually sleep tonight. _Incomprehensible._

With a sigh, she pushed the magazine away. She felt an unreasonable, repressed anger inside her. She threw herself to bed, and this movement created a strong sense of dejavu. She remembered the days when they were students here, three of them sharing one room. It was only two years ago, but so much had been changing. She used to be really close to Icy, or so she thought. But what was the reason they had been drawn to each other? Why was she following Icy everywhere like her shadow?

 _No. Not shadow._ Her mind was playing tricks. _(karma?)_ She couldn't stand the thought of being someone's shadow, especially hers. As if she did not have her free will, her own voice, her… But no. How accurate was it to assume that Icy had been the one in control? Sure, she was the leader (unofficial), she was the heir of Belladonna, possessing the ice powers that had destroyed Domino. All this was impressive, but she never _made_ Darcy do anything. Basically it had been her survival instinct in the beginning. _If you want to survive Cloudtower, you better stick to this girl._ Darcy knew that Stormy also thought the same thing, but with her, it was more like the need to find a place where you belong. She wanted to be a part of something, and deep down she knew that she had to be controlled by a more mature, collected personality. With Darcy, that was not the case. She liked to believe that _she_ had been in control all along. Icy would never admit that, but she needed her. She needed them. Icy was climbing the steps, right, but she would never have everything to herself. Darcy would not let that happen.

The problem was, after they met Valtor, Darcy feared that she and Stormy were not that essential anymore. Earlier that day, she had noticed that Valtor was basically staring at Icy the whole time, and Darcy was standing close to her, as if begging for some attention. _What if I prove myself stronger than Griffin?_ Contemplating these words, Darcy was sure that Icy was not sleeping right now. She knew her so well. She would not let go of this.

She sat upright. Her mind was starting to boil with all kinds of poisonous thoughts. _You will basically be nothing._ If Icy manages to somehow make Valtor share his power with her, you will really be her shadow, maybe not even that. _No._ The harder she tried to resist, the truth showed itself more clearly. _You were never in control. She always was._

Her heart darkened with resentment, anxiety, and hatred. She felt the need to go and check Icy, to see what she was up to. Walking towards her room, she swore that she would not let Icy have any victory without her. Since it was not possible for the three of them to share the power anymore, she realized the _Trix_ belonged to the history now.

The room of the ice witch was empty. Darcy stood at the door for a minute, staring at the empty bed with paranoia and growing jealousy. This room was incredibly cold, but she did not notice. As if hypnotized, she cast a spell. Then, casually, she went back to her room.

Icy woke up on the sofa, in Valtor's office. She realized she was covered with his jacket, as if it were a blanket. Remembering last night, she sat up and started to untangle her messed up hair. "Good morning, ice queen." Valtor kneeled down beside her, handing her a cup of coffee. She took it and smiled, almost happily. "Where are my clothes?" Icy asked, acting casually, as if she did not feel like all of the universe existed for the two of them right now. She was still ecstatic.

Valtor made a face, like an unhappy child. It was the first time she saw her not acting too serious, as if now there was some intimacy between them. "Why do you need them? Isn't my jacket on your skin enough?" Valtor said, still uncharacteristically non-serious. Icy sighed and got up, then Valtor handed her the nightgown she had been wearing earlier. "Here, _my lady."_

She froze. _What?_ "Don't look so surprised. I have made up my mind. I want you as my partner."

This was really happening. She was his equal. She, despite being only twenty-one, and not completing her education. She had won against a woman who had fought against the Ancestral Witches. Who was considered one of the most respected witches in Magix. And this wizard, with all his knowledge and power, were now calling her a lady, a queen.

The feeling of victory was indescribable. She had never felt like this, not even while she had the Dragon Fire. She felt like crossing a threshold. There was no going back.

-The Prophecy, Valtor continued, says that the most powerful witch should be with me. I believe, once we get rid of Griffin, that should be you. Do you agree?

Icy thought of the other professors of Cloudtower, mainly Ediltrude and Zaratushtra. They were scholars, but that was all. They were useless in fighting, they certainly lacked the cold blood and self control. What made a witch powerful? Knowledge alone was not enough. You had to have a lot of stamina, control over your mind and body, and you had to have a certain amount of cruelty.

"I agree."

"Wonderful. The preperations for the magical contract should take some time. We will be incredibly busy from now on, I still have to continue my visits all over the Magical Dimension. I received a troubling news this morning, it seems like Bloom has managed to earn her Enchantix powers." Valtor's voice hardened when he mentioned his arch enemy.

"How is that possible? She couldn't have saved anyone from Domino, could she?"

"I don't know how it happened, but all I know is, she is now powerful enough to destroy me." His voice got a bit weaker, as if he was frightened of something. "Not just to kill me, but to destroy my very essence. You know that I am planning to do the same to her. When we shall have our final fight, one of us is certainly going down. Extinguished, like never existed."

"Then we will make sure that she is the one to go down!" Icy said, in a more aggressive tone. She could not maintain her cold blood when the problem was Bloom related. "We should always expect the fairies to attack. It is anytime now… But first of all, we shall get rid of Griffin for good." Valtor added.

"I will do it." Icy said instantly.

Valtor startled, and stared at her silently. "Are you sure?"

"I am. You should focus on the contract thing right know. If Bloom is ready to attack, then we should be ready to strike back, as _partners._ Meanwhile, I will take care of all the other business."

The fact that she was treating murder like signing papers made Valtor amused. "That's my girl. Now go and wake up your sisters, we have work to do."

 _Tssss._

Icy screamed in terror when she saw the snakes in her room; hundreds of them, covered the floor, the walls, her bed, even the ceiling. Hearing her scream, they all turned towards her, approaching slowly to her, as if instantly hypnotized. She quickly cast a spell, and all of them were frozen instantly, then she broke them into pieces. It sounded like mirrors crashing down. Icy sat down, gasping for breath. Before she could collect herself and figure out what the hell was that, Darcy appeared in the room. "How do you want your snake for breakfast, sis? Fried? Boiled?" There was no humor in her voice, but poison instead. Icy felt herself getting really mad, but she would not lose control.

"What was that for exactly?"

"I knew you would take some action, but I did not expect this from you. Whoring yourself to be the top witch? That would make you his concubine, not companion!"

Icy stared at her sister for some time, then she started to laugh. Darcy was taken aback, and was getting intensely annoyed.

"You thought that, of course! Well, let me make this clear first. Yes, we had sex! But I was not planning for it, I did not plan anything! _He_ wanted me, and you see, I was not lying to him, I was not wearing a mask and I was not trying to seduce him. I do not need those cheap tricks! He agreed to make me his companion!"

Darcy's face instantly turned paler than ever, and she felt many intense emotions at the same time. She was humiliated because her assumptions about last night were proved wrong. Even though they had sex (thinking about this felt like dust in her heart) she was not seducing him. Then, she managed to make himself the top witch. How the hell did she do that? _Why is everything so easy for her?_

"You _slut!"_ Darcy grabbed the arm of her sister and pierced it with her long nails, making it bleed. She then kicked her down to the bed and Icy almost hit her head to the corner of the coffee table. Darcy then attempted to scar Icy in the face, but instantly she found herself on the floor. Icy was on top of her now, and she pushed Darcy's arms down to the floor; she was not able to move. For a minute they looked at each other's eyes. _"Pathetic._ Our sisterhood is coming to an end, don't you think? I…" Icy could not finish the sentence because someone basically kicked her away from Darcy. _Stormy._ "What do you mean by that?" She tried to sound brave and confident, but Icy sensed some emotional vulnerability beneath. She had absolutely no time for that.

"What I mean is, Valtor has accepted me as his partner, so there is no need for us to continue with this coven anymore. You can feel free to do anything you want, and that includes dissappearing from my sight forever!" After saying this, Icy left the room with a loud bang from the door.

The two remaining sisters did not talk for a couple of minutes. Stormy was shocked that her sister ( _sister?)_ could so easily push her away. Had she always been so worthless for her? She felt the anger growing inside her. How dare she, first make them dependant to her, promising them an outstanding future, and after everything they have been through _together,_ walk away just like that?

Darcy was starting to realize how different things would become from now on. What would happen to Griffin? Would they kill her? Or did they already? And more importantly, what if Icy feared that the two of them would try to hurt her and replace her? _Could they even actually harm Icy?_ Darcy shrugged at the thought. Killing a fairy was a different thing. It was a duty for them, following the steps of the Ancestral Witches. But hurting a witch sister was a huge taboo, and the most dishonorable act imaginable. Besides, she still did not hate Icy, and she doubted she ever could. What did she feel about her, if anything at all?

Stormy suddenly got up and helped Darcy on her feet. "We are not going away." She said, with a more controlled tone this time. "She will eventually realize that she will always need us. She will be sorry for disrespecting us like this." Darcy did not expect this from her, because it absolutely made sense. She smiled joylessly. "Agreed, sister."


	4. Chapter 4

Griffin was staring at the cold, hard wall in front of her for some time now. She did not know for how long she was trapped in this hole, but her mind and spirit was starting to wander away, in a search for some fresh air and freedom. She concentrated on her astral body and felt the blocking magic of Valtor. He did not even allow her the freedom to leave her body, not even for a minute. He knew that she loved doing it. Whenever she felt stressed out, she would leave her old, tired body in the chair and just float with her weightless spirit, it had been a passion of hers. But now, imprisoned and humiliated, all she could do was to try to communicate with the Heart of the tower and cope with her loneliness a bit.

She suddenly remembered something. Something special about this night. She did not have a calendar there, but she had mastered Astrology, so she did not have to know the date, she could feel stars and planets vibrating inside her, as if the whole sky was inside her. She had a prophecy about this night. And she was never wrong in her prophecies. _Oh yes? Why couldn't you foresee this then?_ Her biggest mistake had been her unwillingness to accept a bad prophecy. She never accepted anyone in her school without studying their astrological chart first. And yet, she had still accepted the Trix, despite the voice of reason demanding her not to.

She had a vision suddenly. It was connected with her prophecy that something significant would happen tonight, she just knew it. She saw herself as an eagle, soaring high. In a second, her wings were broken. She was caught and trapped in a cage.

Tsss.

The serpent came from behind her, and its touch was poison. The eagle turned to ashes, and the silver serpent started to glow, she had become stronger and more beautiful than ever.

The vision ended. She was a master at symbolism, but what this meant was so clear that she could not believe it at first, but she felt that it was the truth. She would kill her. Tonight. She felt her body go tense. She thought Valtor would be the one to kill her, and she would very much prefer that. Why did she have this vision? What good was there for her to know it, if she could do nothing about it? She knew the answer to that. She would not let Icy have the life she desired, which she thought she would have by killing her. She would make a dying curse. She had enough power to do that. The thought gave her a creeping pleasure. She could arrive any moment now. How should she curse her, she thought, in her last breath? What would be the worst punishment for her? She suddenly smiled, and had the sense of victory. She may be going down, but she was the one in charge. Her destiny was in her hands. _Control._ Griffin suddenly knew what to do. She quickly started the incantation. She was calm, an at peace. Her killer would get what she deserved.

" _Should we warn her?" Tharma's whispery voice echoed through the veins of the tower, only for the spirits to hear. Lysliss flew towards the ceiling, a grin was forming in her face. "By all means, no!" Belladonna appeared before them, she created a crown out of thin air, made of glass. "Agreed! It would be delightful to watch the wall of ice around the conscience crash down and the icicles pierce the heart!" Then she dropped the crown._

The raven croaked.

Icy immediately recognized the sound. The bird had become very familiar with the witch since her second year at Cloudtower. She had been away for two years now, but appearantly the raven had not forgotten Icy. She opened the window to let it in. The bird did not fear Icy a bit while she was caressing the soft feathers gently, but her mind was occupied with not so gentle thoughts. She would do the killing at midnight. The bird screamed again, its eyes were fixed at Icy's. It was trying to say something, desperately. But dark wings would carry dark words, it was known. Maybe it was trying to warn her against the enemy. Valtor wanted to send some witches to Alfea to spy, and Icy had decided which two witches they should send away. Hopefully, never to return.

Did she really want that? Them being gone forever? Maybe not, but she would get over it. All that mattered was Valtor. She constantly felt the need to be in his presence, and that was not a personal feeling. It was not love. It was like their magical essence were incomplete without each other and were constanly attracting the other like a magnet.

She wore her dark blue leather clothing and high heels, and painted her eyes a bit too much. Aside from her sisters, no one was allowed to see her as she was at that moment, with her hair down, no make-up and wearing a white nightgown. She thought it made her look fragile, too humane even. She could not face the outside world like that. She felt much better in a look that intimidated most people.

On her way to dungeons, Icy called upon the malevolent spirits trapped in the tower, and asked them to encourage her, if she ever hesitates. She already had blood in her hands. People have died in the war in Alfea. But she had given them the chance to surrender. They had chosen to fight. As the heir of Belladonna, she had the right to finish what she had started.

But tonight, she would do something really unacceptable, she would kill a witch, plus, she was older than her. Even the Ancient Coven would judge such a thing. Destiny. _It is a destiny for me._ She was proud of the control she had over her mind. Whenever she wanted, she could silence the sound of hesitation, of self doubt. Such things were always an obstacle and they did not help in achieving your goals.

Inside the dungeon, it was damp and cold, but a kind of unclean, nasty cold that even Icy could not like. The only sound was coming from her high heels. There was no light. She could barely see a silhoutte of a person, across the room, in the corner.

"I know why you are here."

Icy kneeled beside her, and attempted an eye contact. She regretted that instanly. No one had ever looked at her like that before, and she had seen many hateful looks. She felt a bit nauseous. But managed to maintain her posture. Griffin continued.

"If my magic was not restrained, you would be history. So, do not consider it your victory! My life will end tonight, I have known that for some time. But, why do you look surprised? Did you expect met o beg for my life?"

"I did not even consider that."

"I have lived a long, purposeful life! My witch sisters will honor me after I am gone. I have no regrets. That is how I would like to go. Do you ever think about how _your_ death is going to be?"

 _Enough._ She had to silence her. She did not want to hear these words for the rest of her life. She would freze the woman's heart. When she took her in her arms, the woman felt like a bruised child. She was small and thin, old, looked insanely vulnerable. _Why did I think this would be easy?_ One of the things that bothered her was that Griffin was not even trying to defend herself. She was intensely calm now, eager to leave. Icy slowly concentrated her magic on the body, lowering the temperature. Griffin looked more bruised with each passing second, like a rotting apple. Her life energy was slowly fading away.

Watching this made her very aware of her own mortality. Seeing Griffin, a once strong and proud witch, fading away.. Icy would achieve her goal with Valtor, and get everything she can from life, but what then? Was this not her destiny also, dying away like a rotten apple?

"You had so much potential Icy, it is such a pity that…"

She did not have the strength to speak. Icy realized she never actually considered this woman her enemy. Yes, she had fought against her, but simply the situation had required that. It was not personal. She realized that, she actually had some respect for this woman.

"A pity that what?"

She wanted her to continue. She would always complete her sentences, so why would not she now? It was because of her, of course. She had come in the middle of the night, like a damn predator, and she was tearing her to pieces. Taking her actual _life._

Something changed in Griffin's expression, it got a bit softer. "You hesitated… "

"What?" Icy asked more to herself, then she saw that her magic had stopped. Was she unsure about the murder? Hell no. She prepeared for the final shot. Aimed right at the heart. Griffin looked like she was sorry instantly, but wasn't she eager to die? _Enough with the thinking._

She froze the heart.


	5. Chapter 5

The open window let the wild air in. Stormy was undisturbed by it, she stood half naked in the solitary of her room, smoking the first cigarette of the night. Observing her messy room brought an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. Five years ago, she had decided to attend this school, with hopes of being a talented witch someday and leave her violent past behind. That had not gone as planned… But this time she was the agressor, not the victim. And this was a hundred times less painful.

The painful thing was the loneliness.

She was alone in the room, but in fact, she was so in the world. No one was there at the moment to approve her presence, her personality. Suddenly intensely annoyed, she searched for a living creature. She found a toad. The little creature jumped at the sight of the witch. Funny. For some distraction from the loneliness, she focused her magic and created a toad-sized lightning. She waited for the relief to come, but this time the problem went deeper, it could not be solved by letting her magic out.

She had to talk to Icy.

A week had passed since the killing of Griffin. They had learnt that from Valtor. Icy had been nowhere to be seen. And for the last few days, Valtor and Icy were always together in the office, and they had not summoned neither her or Darcy. And the emptiness of her days were insufferable. What was the direction of her life? Since her childhood, chaos had been her reality. Some people followed the peaceful currents of life, but her life was a jump from one hurricane to another, each more wild and destructive than before. Magic was her saviour.

She remembered the first time her magic saved her.

Far from the city center of Magix, beyond the dark forest, stands one of the oldest orphanages in the realm. Children found in streets. Babies taken from thrash. All can be found here. What can not be found is an actual civilization; royal squires and noble Fairies. This is the underground of Magix, and creates a tragic contrast with the riches and luxury of Fairy folk. Witches, who did not have a chance to get an education and have magical license, "live" here. That means, reproducing and leaving the unwanted babies to the orphanage.

A fourteen year old Stormy (known by the name Silvana at the time) stands in the garden, in which the only green thing being the beer cans thrown around by older kids. She watches those older kids, one of them is bragging about discovering her magic recently. Appearantly, she is one of those fire witches, and she seems too happy about having a chance to _burn_ someone someday, and Silvana wants to say that you do not need magic for such a simple and silly thing, but of course she does not say a word. The burn marks in her arms are still fresh, a gift from Miss Willow, their "protector." She had not caught her stealing anything this time, appaerantly she did not need a reason to torture orphaned kids. Silvana knew that, working in a place like that meant to be at the bottom of the social hierarchy. But you could tell that just by looking at her, everything about the old woman screamed failure. The scary thing for her was, she used to be a kid here, herself. This woman could be Silvana's future.

Shaking her head to get rid of the horrific thought, she got inside the building. She was just turning the corner for her dormitory, when she saw Nova. The fire witch, with her gang of five. All of those girls, including Silvana, had grown up together. An outsider would call it a family. An insider knew what it was. It was a forest. And Silvana was not a part of the pack. "Hi there, cloudy hair!" Sixteen year old Nova called to her, her long red hair shone with the igniting fire magic sparkling. In the civilization, an underage witch was not allowed to access her magic. But here.. chaos. Silvana had no back up. She had only one friend here, but Miss Willow had taken care of that. Magix was proud of its justice system, but it seemed like it only applied to fairies. Children were dying here, but those fairies, "justice warriors", did nothing about it.

"I am talking to you!" Nova was too close to her face now, her friends circled around her, all grinning nastily.

"What is it, Nova?" She tried to sound brave. It did not work.

"I want to try out my new powers, you see. I wish we had trees here, so I could burn them, but unfortunately, the closest thing resembling a forest is.. you. " She pulled Silvana's dark, curly hair while saying all this. Instantly, two girls hold her hands, and the other too her legs. She screamed. No one came. They carried her outside, dumped her on the muddy ground.

Nova's hand was on fire. Her eyes shone with a mad light. The girls were holding Silvana, she could not move. This girl wanted to kill her. Just for a brag. She hold her left hand with her fiery ones, and Silvana screamed for her life. She could hear the laughter of the girls. She saw her left hand blackening from the magic. It hurt like hell.

It started to rain.

She had not known gratefulness before. But feeling the raindrops on her skin, the laughters ceased. Nova's face dissappeared. In that split second, she felt it. _Magic._ The wind in her skin. Let it become stronger, less gentle. Electricity in the air. It was hers to command. The chaos inside her made its reflection on the outside world. _I am one with the wind._ She started to laugh. Like a maniac. Nova and the girls stopped. Silvana got up, her hand was stil black but she felt no pain anymore. She commanded the weather to be cruel. To turn this girl into ashes. The lightning came in an instant. Nova did not realize what had hit her. Dark magic had turned lightning unnatural, it was playing with the girl, and the uncontrolled electricity finally crashed her and dropped her. Dead.

Magic. Her saviour.

The other girls screamed in terror, much to Silvana's satisfaction. They attempted to run, but the lightning stroke again. It was answering Silvana's wish, the wish to hunt them. They could not escape the storm. When it was done, she realized people had been watching. She turned towards them, and they backed down with fear. Miss Willow was also there. She did not need to think about it. All this was about instinct, not reason. She came closer, and summoned another unnatural lightning. The lightning made the old woman, the killer of her friend, suffer unnaturally. When it was done, she was drained. She ran, leaving the orphanage behind her forever.

Two years later, she applied to Cloudtower, school for Witches.

No one was allowed to know how she stayed alive for those two years. No one would ever know that she was whoring herself.

She wanted a purposeful life. She wanted a direction. She wanted some control over her life. Then, she met the living, breathing winter in the shape of a girl. She had purpose, direction, control. Maybe a little too much. She actually did not treat Silvana like a garbage. Which was surprising because she did not show any friendliness to anyone else. She would rarely talk, and was rarely talked to, except a thin brunette, who followed her everywhere like her shadow. One day she had caught Icy alone. Actually she had found her alone, sitting on the stone road to the tower, smoking. She had sat next to her, uninvited. "Those will send you to an early grave." She remarked casually. "The smoke won't harm me." She had replied, not bothering to look at her. But Icy was studying her carefully, and it was starting to get irritating. "The students here are extremely useless, do you realize that? Yesterday I met a girl who had a gift of communication with snakes. But she was scared of them. How pathetic, you do not waste magic like that.." How random, Silvana thought. Why was she even bothering to talk with her? "What is our difference? We are also simply students." Icy looked dumbfounded for a second, like she had never considered this before. "Your magic is related to the air, am I right?" How could she know that? "I can summon lightnings and storms. How did you guess?"

"It is obvious in you. You are connected with your magic, and it shows!"

Great observing skills. Also, creepy. Was she interested in her in a different way? If that was the case, she would get extremely uncomfortable. "You are also very obvious. Why do you call yourself Icy? What is your real name?" Now, it was her turn to invade privacy. "That is irrevelant. It used to be my name when I did not know my magic, and witches are defined by their power. Icy is my real name." What was this now? An idealist? "Ice magic is quite notorious." She referred to Belladonna, who with her sisters had destroyed the planet of Domino and its royal family. "Yes, and I do think there is a reason behind me possessing it." Silvana's gloves caught her attention. "Why do you wear those?" _Enough._ "It is none of your business!" She got up suddenly and headed to the building.

Then she stopped.

What had happened two years ago was still haunting her at nights. She still felt the fire in her dreams. And she also relived her first magical moments. The moments which had made her a killer. No one knew. No one wanted to ask. Except this girl. She had asked.

"I will show you, Icy." She wanted to share it for the first time. She would expose herself to this girl. She would take the risk. Icy took her to her room. The brunette was there. "Darcy, can we have some privacy?" The girl rose an eyebrow, then took the magazine she was reading and left. Silently. _Weird._ "You two seem pretty close." Stormy observed, while sitting at her bed. "Don't change the topic now, let me see your hands."

"Why are you so interested?"

"I told you that before. You are connected with your magic. This is why I am talking to you."

Silvana took off her gloves. The hand was still black. Still bruised. She feared that she might pity her, but she was not getting sentimental, she was genuienly interested. "This is fire magic. A badly conjured one." Stating the obvious. "How did this happen?"

She had wanted this for two years. For someone to ask. She told her. Everything. When she finished, her eyes and lungs were burning with repressed emotions and worry. She had just confessed murder. If Icy reported her, her life was over. How could she be so stupid?

"Calm down." She did not seem horrified at all. She actually took her hand in hers. "Fire magic is my exact opposite. Whatever it destroys, I can repair." She focused her magic on Silvana's hand. It felt numb at first, but then the blackness disappeared. Silvana looked at her, surprised. Did this mean they were friends now? Her magic was focused and controlled, too refined for a sixteen year old. This girl was really talented. "Why did you come to this school?" She could not believe this random question. Why was she so casual? Why was she not scared of her, after hearing her confession?"

"I wanted a future… apart from that hell hole. Why did you come?"

She did not answer, but Silvana felt she had a crystal clear answer to that, but she was not going to share it. "Stormy. I will call you Stormy from now on." _What the fuck? "_ This is it? I am opening up to you, and you are giving me a pet name?" Irritated, she jumped off the bed and attemted to leave. Icy caught her by the arm. "Do you know why Darcy and I are always together?" When Stormy did not reply, she continued. "Let's say, I have shared a secret with her, and gave her the chance to become a part of something, something they won't teach you at school. Because she is a very intelligent person, like I have suspected, she agreed. Because she respects her magic and does not want to waste it away."

"What is it? You are starting a coven? You want me in?" _Want me? Of all people?_ She observed Icy with a new found interest. She did not resemble any teenage witch she had met before. She was not talking about pranks, boys, turning fairies into frogs. She was not fooling around. She had a purpose. She had an inkling of the nature of that purpose, but she asked anyway. Her answer left no doubt. "I can't give away much right know, but just try to imagine how your airy magic would feel if it was _unlimited."_

Messing with magic was dangerous, but magic was the purpose of their existence. Stormy was willing to be with this girl, because she felt like an adult, who came out of nowhere and gave her a place to belong. She still did not know her personality well, but she felt solid and everlasting. She had completed her coven. "It must be destiny", she said, "we will play with _fire!"_

Back to the present moment, she wondered what might happen if she had rejected Icy that day. Someone else would be in her place in the Trix. She might not be alive right now, or she would be one of the zombie students, her free will taken away.

They had played with fire. She had kept her promise. But the fire had defeated them in the end. Meanwhile, they have become war criminals. They have murdered. They have hurt people.

None of this could be undone.

A raven came to her window and Stormy recognized it immediately. _Icy's bird. She loved the horrifying creature._ It was horrifying because its voice sounded like a bad omen. Especially now. It was as if it begged her to run. _Run for your life._ "Hey." She jumped at the voice of Darcy. She was right behind her, and had not made any sound. It was her talent to walk so lightly, sneakily. She looked extremely drained.

"What's up?"

"Valtor wants us to go to Alfea and spy for fairies." Darcy sighed. Something was up.

"What is it?" Stormy knew her sister's sixth sense were much beter than hers, especially if the situation promised darkness and gloom. "They have no chance. _We_ have no chance, Stormy! All of them have their Enchantix. They are major fairies now, not the unexperienced children we used to mess with! They have seen fights before, and lost their friend in the Omega dimension. They will be mad. They will want blood."

Stormy felt the creeping anxiety and fear, hearing those realistic words. She was damn right. They were in grave danger.

"And the Company of Light, the remaining two, will also come. How do you think they will react when they find out what happened to Griffin? I tried to explained this to Icy, but no. She can not think straight. Neither she nor Valtor. He will lose against Bloom. And then, its over. We are done for."

Then Stormy realized what she was suggesting. They had to run away. Where could they go? The situation was so hopeless that the safest option would be surrendering to Light Rock prison.

And without Icy. They would leave her to her fate. But she had made her choice, she had even showed them the door. Could they convince her to leave Valtor and escape, while there is still time? Knowing her sister…

"I hear her footsteps. She is coming."

Two sisters were both silent, consumed by thoughts of future misery and decay. Icy, on the other hand, seemed to be living in a completely different reality.

"Why are you still here?" She demanded. They had to be working. They had to be prepeared.

"Do we need to spy on them? They can come at any second, wouldn't you prefer us to be here for, you know, fight them?" Darcy asked in a bitter tone, but she already knew the answer. She was sure of their victory, and she did not want to share that. She was not considering maybe, just maybe, they might need their help. Delusional.

"What will happen to us _if_ you succeed?" And this was Stormy.

Since the murder of Griffin, Icy had been more reserved than ever. She had always been numb, but she used to regard them as real as her, as valid as herself. But now, the presence of cold aliveness was turning to something more hollow, empty, scary. Darcy also realized some detachment from reality. _Something is up with her. More than before._ She was still the healthiest in the head. She had to leave. She did not need Icy, she could not even stand her presence.

But Stormy was still dependant. Icy realized the neediness in her words.

"How should I know, Stormy? Why should I care?"

Mistake.

Darcy demanded her to stop. This could get really scarring. But she continued.

"But I knew it, I had figured you out when we first met. You should thank me you know, you would be _nothing_ without me, and this goes to both of you!"

She was losing her calmness, so was Stormy. But her uncalmness worried Darcy a lot more.

"But you came to me! Not I! You made me a part of something, did not even inform me enough, and here I am, stuck with you forever, bound with the same fate!"

"Of course you are stuck, you don't have the courage or desire to leave! But now I want you to leave, we are not sixteen anymore, and not bound by any contract! I came to you, yes, but why do you think so? Because I liked you? You were _miserable,_ and really powerful, which is a dangerous combination. I called you sister, but you were a _weapon_ for me, nothing else! Your reputation does not suit you, even now. It is still written on your face. _Miserable orphan, everyone can see it._ And now, you will…"

Slap.

It came from Darcy. Stormy was not able for any kind of violence at that moment, which for her, is a sign of something very unusual. As unusual as her, actually crying in front of her sisters. Like she was right now.

The slap was hard, Icy could not continue to speak. Darcy's facial expression was so poisonous that she felt a chill in her spine.

"If we are being honest Icy, hear me out. I have always _despised_ you. I saw your potential. Your ambition. I have stuck with you, not because of any sentimental reason which you blame Stormy for, but because I was being clever, or I used to think so. You think you used me? Don't make me laugh, I was using you! You could not have achieved anything without me or Stormy. And don't pretend you are not surprised. You can never deny that you use to _love_ me."

No one talked for a couple of seconds. Meanwhile Darcy sat beside Stormy, and put her hand on her shoulder. Icy was still standing.

"So you are not going to Alfea?"

"Well guessed."

 _Who is more stubborn Darcy, me or you?_

"Then I guess I have to make you go."

Room temperature dropped. The Windows froze. And then they all broke, little pieces were falling down like snowflakes, they cut the skins of two sisters, only leaving Icy untouched. She took one of the largest pieces, and then she froze her sisters too, making them unable to move. Unable to talk. She scarred Darcy's hand with the piece, the hand which slapped her.

 _They will never forgive you for this._

She did not need forgiveness. She was one step away from her ultimate victory. Nothing would stop her. She waited. Sisters could not speak, but they were freezing. It probably hurt badly. But they had deserved it. They should have had more respect for her. Twenty minutes later, she undid the magic. Stormy was shaking really badly, but Darcy recovered quickly. The heat of her anger was stronger than the cold spell.

"I hope you choke in your victory."

Then she teleported herself and Stormy, probably not to Alfea, but to _somewhere,_ which was what Icy had intended. They were gone.

She stood in the cold room alone, broken window pieces and icicles around her. _Numb._ What she had said to Stormy was really cruel, and Darcy… she had warned her, that they can't win against Bloom. She could well be right, but…

They are gone. For good.

She had Valtor, and he was all she ever needed. She had everything now. All they had to do was to kill Bloom. But she was still thinking about Darcy's words, and her own. Bitterness rose.

She was still cold. So damn cold.


	6. Chapter 6

_Some say the world will end in fire,_

 _Some say in ice._

 _From what I've tasted of desire_

 _I hold with those who favor fire._

 _But if it had to perish twice,_

 _I think I know enough of hate_

 _To say that for destruction ice_

 _Is also great_

 _And would suffice._

 _-Robert Frost_

 _Hi! I have to include some Bloom in this chapter, but I promise it will be brief, since this is mainly about the villains. I don't enjoy writing about the fairy side as much as I do enjoy the Trix, but it is necessary for the plot. Thanks for reading!_

Chasing the silhouettes in front of her, the royal fairy was floating in her dream. She was inhaling the air of lifelessness of the dead planet, the planet which once was the brightest of them all. This used to be her home. The dreaming fairy loses her strength. She falls down on her knees. The silhouettes seem out of reach. She wants to call for them, call for her family, and in her silent scream, lies all of her longing, her wish.

Another silhoutte forms. This time, she is not longing, not wishing. She becomes alert, her complete being is ready to fight. She, and this man, they are one and the same. Only his essence is darkened and corrupted. He is an abomination. A sin, a mistake. Her heart beats solely for his destruction. This abomination was the reason of her exile to Earth, her being crownless and nameless. He was the reason why this planet, which used to be the cradle of the Dragon, was now an icy grave.

Her Enchantix appears. A gift, given from Arcadia to those who deserve it. Only, she had not sacrificed for it. She was an exception. This had to be destiny. This meant that, she was destined to destroy the dark wizard.

Bloom woke up, to see Miss Faragonda sitting on the corner of her bed, blankly staring at the wall. "Miss?" The old woman smiled briefly, then whispering, asked her to come to her office for a secret meeting. They left silently, not to disturb the sleeping fairy of nature.

Golden and copper colors dominated the office of the old fairy. The normally airy room was now crowded with familiar and unfamiliar faces. She saw Saladin; the major wizard of the Red Fountain, resting his hand on the table, looking grim. King Radius and Queen Luna; Stella's parents. Griselda. Queen Galatea of Melody. The royalty from Andros; Layla's parents and cousins.

Faragonda was building an army against Valtor.

"My dear friends, we shall defend our youngest ally in the upcoming war, until our last breath. She is the only one in this room who can extinguish the life of the enemy. Let us demonstrate our faith, and respect for her."

Upon these words, she put a golden box on the table. Inside was a gold necklace, the symbol of the great dragon. It had a red jewel, just below the dragons tail. Faragonda approached Bloom and helped her wear the necklace.

"This belonged to your mother."

She felt the warm tears forming in her eyes. She also felt her desire for the wizard's downfall getting stronger.

"I promise to all of you, I will not fail. Your realms will know freedom and peace again."

Faragonda nodded. "Now, the reason of this meeting is that we have to come up with a plan, a strategy. We will attack, but we should also have defense here. Bloom and Valtor can feel each others presence, so nothing should come as a surprise. However, we must not forget about his witch allies."

Saladin stepped forward.

"It would be best if we could catch Valtor alone, but it seems nearly impossible. We hear reports everyday, all around the Dimension, and he continues his visits with some "partner" , they say. Each day, more and more people receive his Mark, his army is growing. I assume this partner is the traitor who calls herself the heir of Belladonna."

Everyone contemplated these words for a minute. A worried expression formed in Faragonda's face, while Bloom's expression became more serious. "They will plan something tricky, for sure."

Faragonda did not hear Bloom's remark, since her mind was occupied with her century old friend, Griffin. She had an inkling, but did not want to believe. Saladin's mention of the ice witch had made her fears return. "Now that Bloom has her Enchantix, this war has officially started. The planets Valtor had attacked are already in the state of emergency; we have managed to rescue some of their leaders and we are protecting the inhabitants, but many had to surrender against him. He has killed off some of the royalties and left the people bound to him. What pains me to say is, some Fairy kings and queens willingly surrendered to Valtor, and agreed to fight beside him, because he promised them a high status in the future world he desires to build. In his idea, he and his wife would be the ultimate royalty of all the realms in the Magical Dimension." Faragonda concluded.

"Solaria will never surrender. We are with you until the end, Princess of Domino, even if that means sacrificing ourselves. I promise this, upon the Three Suns of Solaria. I knew your father. If only he could be here right now." King Radius put his hand on Bloom's shoulder in a fatherly manner. She felt a lovely warmth inside her heart. _Valtor will not win. Ever._ This, she promised to herself.

The room was getting more and more crowded each passing minute. The meeting lounge of Cloudtower had remained empty for years, but today, a special event was taking place. Since the return of Valtor, all of his old allies have been attempting to contact him, but he had told them to wait until the day when everyone was ready to meet, and finally plan the attack on the Company of Light and the Princess.

Everyone took their seat, around the long table in the middle of the room. The ceiling was high, and the front wall was covered with a portrait of the Ancestral Witches. Some guests were still talking to each other, some were whispering. A red headed man was whispering something to a blonde woman,who seemed extremely restless of his presence. The man noticed it, and took her chin in his hands. "Do not fear your majesty, I only hunt fairies who misbehave!" His blonde companion laughed nastily at this remark, and the elegant lady in the red dress became even more uncomfortable.

All noise ceased when the two hosts of the event approached the table, and placed themselves at the high chair, together. Valtor seemed satisfied, counting their guests. Icy's attention was mainly on the female guests, especially on fairies. Why would a fairy choose to be on Valtor's side, who desires to rule in the name of the Ancestral Witches? Valtor had promised them the chance to rule their realms, and get rid of their current royalty. Countess Cassandra wanted the King of Solaria and his realm, so she had agreed to be under Valtor's command for the time being. Princess Diaspro wanted Eraklyon. His prince being engaged to Bloom was a problem, a problem which Valtor had promised her to fix. But they would never be real royalty, because Valtor would be the legitimate ruler of all, and she would be his queen. They could play their princess games, but in the end, that would just be symbolic. The real power would not belong to them.

"Welcome, my friends, to our first meeting. A reminder, your main goal shall be the destruction of Faragonda and Saladin; the remaining two of the Company of Light. " As he was speaking in a deep, hypnotizing voice, Icy felt too many eyes on her, inspecting her. She was wearing a long dress made of little pieces of blue ice, and her hair was loose this time, and she was wearing a crown also, made of a darker blue ice. Witches and fairies eyed her with intense jealousy, and men also had a different kind of look in their eyes, which made the young woman shudder.

"As for the Princess of Domino, I shall deal with her myself. Our main destination will be Alfea, school for Fairies. They will be expecting us, and they will be ready. " Valtor stopped here, noticing some distraction from the guests. A middle aged witch asked for permission to speak. "Yes, Morgana?" The woman spoke in a high, unpleasant voice. As she was speaking she kept moving her hands with laced gloves in a dramatic way, which annoyed Icy's nerves. However what she was saying got to her a lot more. "With all due respect, dark and mighty one! I have two burning questions! First of all, when you mentioned the Company of Light, you did not count Lady Griffin, who I was hoping to see by your side today, instead of our pretty young girl here!" With the last words, she pointed towards Icy with her long yellow nail. When no reply came, she continued: " But it seems like she acted stupid, so you had to kill her, naturally. Can I have some private moments with you, after the meeting, my dark lord? Your pretty wife also _may_ attend, of course, I do not mean to be too bold. Forgive me if I crossed the line."

"You _may not_ have a private moment with him." Icy had been silent all this time, but she had had enough. Morgana had been one of the closest allies of Valtor back in the day. _She thinks she still has a chance. She assumes I am just symbolic, a pretty face until he finds an older witch. She does not realize who I am._

Valtor opened his mouth to say something, but Icy raised her hand and demanded him not to. She got up from her chair and came a bit closer to Morgana, staring down at the witch coldy. "I think you misunderstood something. I am officially his wife. I am his equal, and therefore, I am your queen. Do you have a problem with that?" Morgana looked dumbfounded for a second, dissappointment was written on her face. "As long as the war is not over, _my sweet girl,_ nothing is official. Everything changes, and you see, this tower will be a lot more crowded from now on. I suggest you sleep with one eye open." Icy realized that this woman had the delusion that she mattered to Valtor. That was why she dared to talk like this, in front of everyone. She might have had a past with Valtor. But after hearing those words, she had to make a scene. "Do you want to know what happened to Griffin?" Icy asked her calmly. Everyone was watching the two now, the room had become so silent. "Valtor did not murder her. Because she was so dumb, old and useless, like you, I was getting intensely annoyed. And one night, I felt like, you know, experimenting. I was thinking about the nature of fire and ice, and which one would be more preferable if one has to die? Then, imagining the lady was torn in two, I froze the half, and burned the other half with mundane fire. To my dissappointment, fire hurts a lot more. I intend to change it very soon."

Morgana just stared. Ridiculous. This had to be a joke. Maybe she had a very grim sense of humor, but she did not feel like laughing. She looked at Valtor, hoping he would make this nonsense stop and get back to the meeting, but he did not pay attention to her. He was just watching Icy carefully. "I do not intend to sleep with one eye open" Icy continued. "While all my female friends are here, I would like to make some things clear, so I am glad you spoke up, Morgana. I will make an example of you. "

"What do you mean by that? Oh, did you think I was serious? Please, I am so sorry if I –"

"Your voice is annoying me right now. In fact, every word you speak in my presence annoys me. Do you necessarily need to speak, for casting a spell?"

Not waiting for an answer, Icy froze the witch's tongue inside her mouth, and let it break. She shrieked as little pieces cut the insides of her mouth, and she had swallowed some in panic. She coughed, and blood spilled to the floor, as well as the pieces of tongue now covered with ice. She attempted to run, but Valtor made him stay at her chair. He had, indeed, had a past with this woman. She seemed a lot less confident without her ability to speak.

After the meeting was over, Valtor stayed at the lounge for a couple of hours, paying more personal attention to the guests. Icy felt the need for solitude, and left for their private chamber. She had no worry about leaving Valtor with many ambitious young women now, since her small act had made the desired effect.

She lied down to the soft, large bed she shared with Valtor. Sleepiness took over and her mind drifted away.

She saw Griffin floating above her, as if she was swimming. What disturbed her was that, her heart was connected with Icy's, with a thick, black rope. It was a grotesque sight, Icy wanted it gone. "What do you want?" She asked in her dream voice. "It is anytime now. You will lose yourself. My curse will eat you from inside." She saw little worms, lots of them, crawling to her bed, and to her naked skin. They felt sticky and disgusting. "You are doomed." Old lady stopped floating, she actually fell upon Icy, her body was not solid but slimy, sticky. She felt as if the ghost of her was melting away, and she was getting under her skin, infecting her.

 _. Stop!_

Heavily breathing, Icy woke up to find Valtor beside her, trying to calm her down. He had worry in his eyes. "Calm down now, its over." Remembering the words from her dream, she felt the anxiety coming to surface. She had the dying curse of a powerful witch stuck within her aura. That sticky, disgusting thing had to be a symbol of that. _You will lose yourself._ What was that supposed to mean? "Can you undo her curse? Whatever that is?" Icy tried to conceal her anxiety, but could not fully succeed. Valtor stood still, lost in thought. Looking through his eyes, one could feel the unlimited anger he was trying to control. _Damn you, Griffin. You will not win. You are dead._ A box appeared in Valtor's hands. "The dying curse of a witch is one of the most archaic forces of nature. One can not undo it, but I have something which can lessen its effect for the time being. Also, the attack to Alfea also has to wait. I cannot risk sending you to a war under this uncertainty." Inside the box there was a necklace, it was silver and had the symbol of the dragon. "This used to be Belladonna's. I have been intending to give it to you for some time. You can still feel her energy vibrating inside it." When Icy touched the cold steel, she immediately felt more collected; the unpleasant dream slowly lost its control over her. Valtor took her in his arms and put the necklace on her. Then, slowly, he started to caress the soft white skin of her neck. "I can not let you face Bloom alone." His finger stopped his circling motion, and the wizard sighed. "It has to be that way." Icy wanted to oppose, but she was too drained. She just closed her eyes and tried to relax, but how could she, while the future could bring the destruction of her soul? _You are becoming too attached. Pull yourself together._ But no. She had no control over this. This was no ordinary attachment, this was no ordinary man. _I can not survive without this fire. I have no spark of it in me. Without it, I am as dead as Domino._

Valtor bent over and kissed her on the neck. He did let go very slowly, his movements produced no sound at all. He then helped her lay on the bed and started to take her clothes off. "You do not have to worry about anything at all." He whispered to her, "Whoever wants to break us, living or dead, we will crush them." Icy looked at his eyes and saw the spark of red. "We are chosen by the Mother of all Witches", he continued, while stroking her hair. "And you are the perfect witch to tame by fire." _If I lose you, all hell would break loose. I would burn this damned planet to the ground._ "It is our destiny to rule." After those words, the candle light went off. Icy's frigidness melted away once again with the embrace of the untamed flame.


	7. Chapter 7

" _Midway in our life's journey, I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself alone in a dark wood."_

 _-Dante Alighieri_

The Enchantix Fairy is resting on the cold earth. She touches the hard ground, and it goes warmer immediately. She closes her eyes, lets the nature renew and charge her magic. Her mind is tranquil. Suddenly she is not just Flora, but Mother Nature herself, she feels the roots of every tree there, taking a root in her heart. She feels the wind, the river, the animals. She knows why everything is so harmonius in this realm of the forest. It is the absence of the human mind, the chaotic presence of a living being, who is not in harmony with their own soul.

The peaceful current is suddenly disturbed. Flora came to herself, and got up from the ground. Some people were close to her, and the energy field they were creating made it obvious that they were not fairies. She hides behind the willow tree and listens to their words…

"What kind of a forest is this? Couldn't you have teleported us to somewhere more familiar?" Stormy was feeling dizzy from the sudden teleportation, and she was still feeling sick from the ice magic. "I don't know, I acted very quickly. I just imagined some place where no one would go. This is a wild forest…" Darcy shuddered at the wind. The emergency of their situation was just dawning on her. There was nowhere they could go. Absolutely nowhere. The forest was cold, and she did not see anything edible. But she could not panic, no. If she would lose her calm, what would Stormy do?

Flora was watching this behind the tree. Her sense of oneness was gone, and she was just herself again, and right now it was unbearably painful. _Tecna is dead because of them. She fell into an abyss, trying to repair what they have destroyed._ Anger made her restless. She hated to feel this way. All harmony was lost. _She did not deserve to die alone._ Tears formed in her eyes, but she did not show herself. It was two against one. She had no intention to die today. _Forest will take care of them._ She waited, for the sense of rightness to come. Then, she felt it. Mother Nature had approved. With Her permission, she cast a spell. Then, she flew back to Alfea.

When Icy woke up, Valtor's side of the bed was empty. She sighed, touching her silver dragon necklace. _This belonged to Belladonna._ As well as her powers, her destiny, and even her personality. Even the name she had chosen for herself could be defined by all of those. She tossed and turned in bed. She had had a dreamless sleep, which felt like an undeserved blessing. Maybe, Belladonna really was protecting her. She remembered the day she was saved by the Witch. Maybe "saved" was not the right word for what happened on that fateful night.

 _Thirteen years after the Fall of Domino. Whisperia, the Moon of Domino, is trying to survive with the help of many realms, mostly Solaria, who are trying to restore the life energy of the small planet. When Belladonna lost control and froze the entire planet, she also risked her own planet, the moon. Unfortunately, the temperature of Whisperia drops rapidly. Is the end near, for the unfortunate planet?_

Electra threw the newspaper from Magix away, with desperation. "With the help of many realms… Are you kidding me?" She nervously bit her lip, trying to clear her head. _They are building ships. We will be out of this Dragon-forsaken planet. We will be safe._

Only, she did not believe it. If the Fairies were actually helping, all would be safe today. It made no sense that building those ships would take much time. Zenith's technology could have produced hundreds of them by now. But they were not worth the effort. They were the first to Fall. When Belladonna revealed herself as a Fallen Fairy, a Witch, their ancestors were mesmerized. They had agreed to fight beside her, because she had promised them that Whisperia would be as bright and noble as Domino one day. _Only, they both turned to a graveyard. Thanks to you. All hail Belladonna, Mother of Decay._

If Electra had been alone, her mind would be at ease. She had no fear of death. No fear of the afterlife. She did not believe in the nonsense of a hell, a lake of fire. She did not believe in heaven either. If she had no one to care for, she would leave the house, and freeze instantly by the cursed cold outside. But no, she would never do that. She would not leave her daughter, her Winter.

The thirteen year old girl is covered with a blanket. She is searching through her shelves, looking for something unread, something she had missed. She mostly enjoys the stories from the Planet Earth. The idea that, people live their whole life without magic is fascinating to her. And terrifying, at the same time.

 _Andersen._ Read, and devastated. Re-read? No thanks. _Shakespeare._ Even more depression that Winter did not need in her life. She felt like reading mythic and religious stories from Earth. She remembered reading about Satan's tempation of Eve for the first time. In their reality, this was the Shadow Phoenix, tempting Belladonna. Eve, the first woman. Bella, the first witch. _Is this a game to you? God, Dragon, whatever? Creating these stories should be entertaining, but don't you think it is cruel to let people freeze to death?_

Annoyed, Winter left her small room and searched for her mother. She found her on the sofa, just doing nothing. She was probably thinking about the future. If it exists. "Electra?" Her expression got relaxed, but she still felt distant. "Hi, daughter." This was a joke between them; Winter never really liked using the word "mother", so Electra was kind of reversing the roles, not using her name. The mother, and the daughter. No connection with the outside world. This was the safest option. Outside world was a post-apocalyptic chaos. Waters were freezing, and crops were dying. Starving people were killing each other for a piece of rotten bread.

But they were also running out of food, slowly but surely. One day, Electra would have to go out there, and fight, while her daughter awaited her return at home. Maybe, she would get killed. What would happen to her daughter? Thinking all this, even breathing started to hurt. _The ice magic did not just brought material ice. It also sucks the life out of us._ The whole planet of Whisperia was in a state of depression. There was nothing to do against it. Like, when you know another planet will crash with yours, and all you have to do is to accept it. The planet was cursed with melancholy.

No one talked. The mother just sat there. The daughter just sat there. _Is that all?_ Winter did not even have her magic yet. Was she going to die away, just like that? There is no sound in winter. No color. Nothing at all. _I can't breathe._

That fateful event had happened some days after that. When she got up in the morning and found her mother gone, as well as their food stocks…

Back to the present. Valtor has returned. _Son of Belladonna and the Shadow Phoenix. The prince of darkness._ "Are you feeling better?" Icy nodded, and started to comb her hair. "We will visit Zenith today." Valtor wore his gloves and his maroon jacket. He pointed to the dress Icy was wearing the other night. "Wear that, you look beautiful in it."

"No. I don't want a pretty dress, didn't you realize what happened last night? No one would take me seriously until the moment I spoke up." She searched through her clothes and chose dark blue leather leggings and a jacket to match. Valtor smirked. "You are such a charachter."

"Whatever. Why Zenith, by the way? They are religious about their moral standarts. They would not surrender."

It was known that Zenithians were people of ethics and principles. They also had the most advanced technology in the realm, which promised to be of great use. Also, if they received Valtor's mark, they would have an army of robotic fairies under their command. _Clever._

"Of course they won't. But I know they are expecting us, and they are constantly in touch with the Company of Light. I feel like paying a visit to my old friends." He wanted a duel. Or multiple duels. With Faragonda and Saladin. They needed a strong backup. "The Fairy Hunters are also coming and Princess Diaspro will bring her army. I think we will look intimidating enough. Even though, I would really like it if your sisters were also here with us. Do you have an idea on their whereabouts?"

 _I called you sister but you were a weapon to me._

 _I have always despised you._

"No, I have no idea." Icy answered coldy and made it clear that she did not want this conversation. "I do not care. They are not irreplaceble." Valtor raised an eyebrow to this, as if he disagreed. But he made no comment.

Icy looked anxious for a second. "Bloom may also come with them." Valtor sighed and opened the door to the corridor. On their way to breakfast with their guests, he explained why this was unlikely. "Our fight with Bloom will not be a usual duel. Dragon fire will clash with itself. Nothing can promise more destruction. If we fight in Zenith, all of the inhabitants would be history. Bloom would never risk such a thing. " After a couple of seconds, he added. "We will have our duel at Domino."

Darcy blinked. Stormy had dissappeared. She was just talking to her, and then, into thin air? _Something changed in the forest._ Panic started to rise. How could she just dissappear? Was she losing control of her magic and creating illusions for herself? She started to run, shouting her sister's name. Minutes later, she was gasping for breath, and her surroundings had not changed. Trees were tall and thin, there was no path visible. She came across no living creature. Even the air felt hollow and she felt her throat go dry. There was no water. Shock, disbelief. Her sight got blurry. She fell to the ground.

 _The thirteen year old watches herself in the mirror. She is wearing a black dress which had belonged to her mother. Only, she is not a woman yet, and very skinny, so it is an amusing sight. Her hair is mousy and short, but she has the solution for that. She looks through her wig collection. Her father does not know she was collecting wigs, she had at least twenty. She checks the living room first. Her father is sleeping, empty whiskey glass is still in his hand. The smell of alcohol reaches Darcy's room upstairs. Perfect, she thinks. Who should I be for tonight? Each night she chose a different wig, a different name, a different personality. Then, she went to downtown. She loved pretending, making things up. She loved to be a witch one night, and a fairy the other._

 _In reality, she would never be either._

" _You should be thankful." Her father always said. "There is no glamour in magic. Your mother was a nasty whore, she loved playing with dark magic! And look, what happened to her! Died at your birth, thus cursed you to be a magicless creature!"_

 _She took her father's word for all of this. He had no reason to lie about her mother's death. Magic was surely dangerous. And yet… She chose the red wig. Decided to be a witch, and called herself Morticia. Now, she had to come up with a personality. This was the best part of the game. She let go of herself, and it was not hard to do. She was already nothing. Her father liked to used it against her, calling her incomplete, a shadowy being. Voiceless. Powerless. But Morticia would be different. She came from a rich family, and had musical magic. She was brave, outspoken, happy. Everything Darcy was not._

 _She left the house silently. Walking the dark alleys, she felt the wonderful sense of freedom, created by escaping the reality. To a comforting lie. Nothing about her was real at that moment, she was just an idea, an illusion. Wandering in the night, with a fake identity. This was enough to make her feel better._

 _She talked to strangers. Mostly men, much older than her. She let them stroke her red hair, and she let them think it was real. She might lack magic, but she still had power over those people. She could make them believe her lies. Multiple people kissed her, and she had told each a different lie. They were mesmerized. They were almost hypnotized. But she silently ran away, before something more than a kiss could happen. It was like she had a protective barrier around. She could play around, but never got in trouble._

She woke up. How long was she sleeping? Was that even a sleep? Hunger. Thirst. It felt like a week had passed since she was talking to her sister, and then everything got blurry. She observed the unfriendly forest, its trees. There were surely no animal, but there had to be some fruit at least. She tried to fly but felt extremely weak. For hours she searched for something edible. _This can not be happening._ Frozen in panic, she put her arms around herself, and started to weep. _This is not happening._ Then, she saw a color other than green. Just within her reach, a red apple was hanging from the branch. She quickly picked it, as if there was someone else who could steal it from her.

She was just about to bite it. Then she dropped it, screaming in horror.

It was rotten.

It suddenly turned black, slimy creatures were emerging from it. It was the most terrifying thing she ever saw. _This is what you get, you nasty whore._ Her father's voice. No. Stop. This was way too much. She was starving and terrified, but most of all, she agreed to her father's voice. _I deserve this._

This had to be her personal purgotary. Or worse, the limbo. She would be lost forever. _I have to get out I have to get out I have to get out._

She was not the survivor type. That was Icy. That was Stormy. But she? _Voiceless. Powerless._

Her scream pierced her lungs. She passed out again.

 _The girl with the mousy hair is cooking some eggs. Her father likes it boiled, unsalted. She prepeares it perfectly, with tomatoes on the side. For herself, she fries a banana, which she would dip in honey. Plates on both hands, she arrives at the dining room. Her father is already there, reading a newspaper._

 _Hemlock was the type of man who had a dislike of things he could not understand. In his youth, women was the subject of his dislike. It had changed the day he had met Lilith. He had stopped being cynical that day. He started to believe in light, in goodness. Everything about her was too good to be true. Hemlock had never understood why such an angelic lady would be interested in him. He started to love the things he could not married days with the angelic fairy had been heaven in earth._

 _Or so he thought._

 _One day, after an ecstatic night filled with unearthly sensual pleasures, he was having a relaxing bath. Then he saw himself in the mirror. And he stared. And stared._

 _He had no idea who this man was. Panicking, he realized he could not remember the part of his life before Lilith. As if they were never existed. He had confronted his wife. Then, he had saw her mask drop. He stopped believing in light and goodness. He started to dislike the things he could not understand._

 _Her wings. They were not real._

 _Her personality, her name. Everything about her. She was not even a fairy. She had stolen his memories because it felt good to be the center of his life. Worse, everything he was doing with her was controlled by her. He had been living a lie._

" _You are not the first, honey, and you won't be the last." Her lovely pregnant wife. Was it so easy to murder love?_

 _She had given birth. And she had left. All Hemlock was left with was a little bruised girl baby with the same disgusting golden eyes as her demonic mother._

" _Dad? Are you not hungry?"_

" _Where were you last night?"_

 _What? She stood there in shock. How did he figure it out?_

" _Mr Waltz called me and said he saw you at downtown. In the middle of the night. Now tell me, what the hell are you up to?"_

 _His tone was starting to get agressive. Darcy could not think of a convincing lie. "I just felt like having a walk."_

" _Oh yes? A walk, with a wig, and a collection of lies?"_

 _Damn it. She should have been more careful. Appareantly someone familiar was at the bar. She saw despair in her father's eyes, almost disgust. "You are just like her… God, why am I so unlucky? I just wish you were stillborn!"_

" _Dad, are you drunk?"_

" _But like mother, like daughter… Damned snakes, disgusting witches!" Hemlock stopped, realizing what he had revealed. Darcy's face was expressionless. "But I am no witch. You have no reason to suspect anything of me!"_

 _No answer came. Her father still looked the same. Disgusted of his own daughter._

" _You were lying to me. I am not cursed." She thought out loud. She started to put the pieces together. "What happened to you that you are so bitter? Did my mom cheated on you?" Her tone was loud. Hemlock did not like that. At all. He suddenly grabbed his daughter's arm and pushed her to the floor. "Don't regard her as if she was human! Oh, how I wished she had cheated on me! He broke me! She stole my name, my personality, my memories! She played with me like a puppet and threw me away, and worse, she left her demonspawn at my door!"_

" _Dad, you are hurting me!" He felt incredibly heavy on her, he had the smell of whiskey still._

" _Women like you have no reason to live!" He then started to choke her. With all his force. Darcy's sight got blurry. This was the end._

 _But no._

 _She was a witch. She was not powerless. She wasn't nothing._

 _She did not felt agression. She felt her most natural ability, manipulation. If her mother could break him, then she also could. She was focused, the kind of focus you have when you are so close to death. She could visualize the brain. The mind. The self, identity. She sent the thoughts. They had no clear pattern. She thought many things at the same time. She tried to convince him that he was a child. He was a dog. An old woman. Anything harmless._

 _Her magic was really powerful._

 _His father was broken. He had believed all of her lies. Next step was asylum._

 _Darcy did not feel guilty when she left her father crying like a child, barking like a dog, and screaming in terror praying. The doctors were terrified. They had never seen something like this. But no one suspected Darcy. She left the asylum feeling free, empowered. She had no problem with going to an orphanage. She had found herself. She was someone now. Someone valid._

 _If only that had been enough for her. If only she had not desired more._

When Darcy woke up, she saw a lake right beside her. Her dried throat, her lungs were aching. She started to drink.

But the feeling of thirst was still there. The water was not helping.

It was also red. It was also not water, but blood. It burned the throat and tasted like ash.

All she had to drink was the blood on her hands.


	8. Chapter 8

**WARNING:** This chapter contains an extremely disturbing event. If you are sensitive to violence and gore or if you are too young please don't read it. I am extremely sorry about what happens in this chapter. You can feel free to skip it if you want.

 _If God has forsaken me_

 _Then I shall forsake God, too._

That morning had been more quiet than usual.

The outside of her window was the same. Snow. White. Trees, but dead. Winter slowly got up from her bed. Yawning, she searched for an extra blanket. Sleeping seemed to keep her warm, but the living room was much colder than her small room.

Having covered herself, she entered the living room, to find it in absolute chaos. Muddy footsteps covered the floors. And the kitchen.. _No._ Panicking, she screamed her mother's name. There was nothing here to eat. Nothing at all. She stood there waiting, hoping her mother would rush out of her room and tell her that she had a plan. That they had another secret stock somewhere. That she would never let them starve to death.

But her mother did not come. Fear of starvation instantly turned to something a lot more horrifying, unbearable. _They must have taken her with them._ All she could hear was her sound of breathing. The silence was so solid that you could hold it. But there was no way out of it.

"Electra!" With her scream, she attempted to break the silence. But no one heard. Should she start to mourn? For her mother and herself? Was there any hope left? Her mind could not hold on much longer. She spent hours crying on the kitchen floor. But no living soul was there to help.

Every move meant suicide. Staying in the house meant starving to death. Leaving the house also meant the same thing, but the cold would mercifully kill you before that. Winter made up her mind. She would leave.

When she stepped outside, she realized the cold was not as merciful as she hoped. The wind in her face felt as sharp as a knife. Her lips instantly went numb. The tears in her eyes also froze. She made a great effort to stop the tears.

Then she started to run. Hoping to come across someone, anyone. But hoping was not the right word. She did not expect the things to get better. The thing she was holding on to was not hope, but the will to exist. There was nothing to live for. But she would not let go of herself.

Gasping for breath, she stopped. She had the eerie sensation that someone was watching. Watching her step carefully, she searched her surroundings. She saw no one. It was starting to get really dark, and the thirteen year old felt so afraid that she could cry again. _I can just get rid of my clothes and wait to freeze. It should not hurt much._ No. Hold on. Something must happen. I am being watched.

Nothing. Nothing is here. Nothing is happening.

Nothing happened all night.

Nothing happened for two days.

Nothing happened for six days.

The hunger was so unbearable that it could make her forget all other pains and fears. Her body was extremely weak. She could not walk for a second, nor think. She gave up trying to exist. Just lying down, waiting to dissapear, she saw who was watching her all this time.

It was a wolf. Winter did not feel scared. Being killed by the beast would be quicker. She closed her eyes and waited for the attack, but nothing happened. The animal seemed to be observing her very carefully. It did not look like it was even hungry. It came really close to her, and then it started to growl. What did this even mean? _But how is it alive?_ All animals have been long dead in Whisperia. _This feels like magic._ But what was its meaning? Winter's mind was too active for someone who had lost their will to exist. Observing the wolf, she gave up on giving up.

The wolf licked her legs. Suddenly they felt stronger. This animal felt extremely familiar to her, as if an image of her own soul, it had appeared just in time to remind her that she wanted to survive. She managed to stand up. And she continued to walk.

Then she smelled the meat.

She heard voices of multiple men. She followed the voices and saw a bonfire, and five men was sitting in a circle, eating. They were the type of people you would not want to come across at night, alone. But you are more brave than usual if you are starving to death. "Can I have some?" Her voice was so weak and pitiful, but in the dead silence of the forest, all of them could hear it. After a couple of seconds, the one with the reddish beard grinned nastily. "Sure bunny, if you pay for it, that is!" The tallest amongst them gave him a harsh look that made him shut up. "Get lost, girl!" As if she was not there, they continued to eat the freshly cooked meat, and the sight disturbed Winter for some unknown reason. She suddenly thought of the wolf she saw earlier. _I thought there was no animal left._

A young man with a long black beard whispered something in the ear of the redhead. They seemed to be really amused about something. The redhead called for the girl. "Don't look so sad, bunny, it breaks my heart! Come on, you can have some." This was the creepiest man she could ever thought of, but it did not matter. She rushed towards them and let herself get warm in the bonfire. The man pointed at his lap. She did not protest. She sat there and let him stroke her hair,her legs. The company was amused. They let her eat, in exchange for touches and humiliation.

Her physical pain was over, but feeling degraded and small, she attempted to leave. Not to her surprise, that could not happen. This was no fairytale, surviving had a price. "Why so soon? Will you leave us in solitude? How cruel of you!" The black bearded looked at his friend, as if asking permission to reveal something. When no one protested, she whispered in Winter's ear, with a excitement he could not hide. "So, how did your first _human_ taste like?"

…

"You are lying." Fear and disgust could stop her heart. She wanted to throw her insides out. _There is more to this hell. Think, damn it!_ "Was it one of you? " (please say yes I beg you) "One of us? Yikes, girl, what an imagination! It was some woman we got from below the hills today!"

 _You got. I see.A woman you got. To eat._

Her mind stopped processing information. Even before starting to vomit, she passed out.

 _She found herself in a void. Surrounded by the silent emptiness, she felt how solid she is, being the only physical being in this place. Existing here could have meant eternal peace, if only she could shut her mind down for good. (they made me eat her) Shivering, she screamed into the void. A scream of hopelessness and hate._

 _The wolf appeared again._

 _She felt the dark magic pouring in and out of the animal, as it started to change. In front of her, stood a tall, beautiful woman with silver hair and a dark cloak._

" _I am Belladonna."_

 _She had such a strong presence that the younger witch could not look away for a minute. She was having a vision of her ancestor, but why? Still, hate and anger was stronger than curiosity._

" _You have destroyed this world. It is all your fault."_

 _She did not seem offended. Her expression was calm but there was no warmness beneath. "I only did what I was meant do to. I was chosen by the Shadow Phoenix to change the balance of this world, and let Him be superior to the dragon!"_

 _Her voice started to be louder, while she had a somewhat proud look on her face. "The glory will be His in the end. Today is the day my legacy continues. The quest for the flame will go on, through my rightful heir."_

 _Heir? And she was telling all this to her? "What does this have to do with me?"_

" _You are chosen to be my heir. By myself, and the Dark One himself."_

 _This had to be a coping mechanism of her mind. To survive the harsh reality, her mind was creating this fantasy. But the woman's powerful aura felt so real, more real than herself. (I was chosen.)_

" _Tell me more about it." Belladonna slightly smiled, and she continued. "Your life as a witch begins tonight. And that will not be an ordinary life. I will grant you my power. You will become an Ice Witch."_

 _Winter could not respond, she was speechless. (I was chosen. I was. I.)_

" _The princess of Domino is still alive. You have to find her and steal the flame. That is it. After that, my dear, is greatness. That is your destiny." She touched the girl's cheeks with her glowing, ice cold hand. "It is your destiny to rule in my name."_

 _She reflected on her life. (life?) She was just existing, trying to breath in a dying world. That Winter person, she did not even have a solid personality. In the presence of this woman, that child seemed pathetic, useless. She wanted her gone._

 _Belladonna. The woman who disturbed the everlasting peace and made people die in war. Who actually froze two planets to death._

 _She would continue the legacy of death._

 _This purpose. Direction. One goal, destiny. All of these were so familiar to her core._

" _Why will I rule in your name?" The young witch protested. "If I was destined to have power, I would rule in my name, and no one else's." Belladonna's eyes sparkled with glee. "You are so similar to me."_

" _Now I shall grant you your magic. Use it well, and proudly, because no one will ever share this gift! Even without the flame, you will have no rivals. Now come closer, and feel this magic!"_

 _Suddenly she felt her body go numb. She could hear her heartbeat. She tried to visualize herself, but the image of her body was melting. She was transforming so deeply that her heart, her core was changing. She saw a blue light, renewing her body, all of its cells. (Crush her. Kill the useless child. You are not dying tonight. You are chosen.) She felt her body again, but in perfect balance and strength, in the physical level. Then she felt her Magic._

 _Ice. Cold._

 _It was wonderful. At first, she felt her core freezing, but it was a pleasant sensation. (I feel so powerful.)_

She opened her eyes. Back to the real world. Those disgusting men were still there. She had been out of time; in reality not a second had past since she passed out. She got on her feet, feeling euphoric.

 _I am so powerful._

The men just stared. The girl seemed different all of a sudden. They felt a dreadful sensation as the child stared at them with a strange look in her eye.

The newborn witch felt the dead planet vibrating inside her palm. This energy of cold, lifelessness, filled her with a new kind of pleasure. _They have no chance against me. Just look at them. Pathetic._ A burst of energy. Four of them are instantly frozen up to their chest. Their eyes went large with panic. "Belladonna's magic! She is returned!" Another one, the nasty redhead, was about to cry from fear. "Did she possess the girl? Oh Lord!"

 _You will not have all the credit, Bella. If this is my destiny, I will not share it with anyone._

"It is not Belladonna. It is me. _Icy."_

The only man who did not have his legs frozen attempted to run. But the newborn witch was faster, and stronger. She pushed the man against the ground. "You like human flesh so much? Maybe I should feed you your dick, while our friends are watching?" She was just playing around, but he believed in her. She could sense all their fears, and it felt delightful. "Or maybe.." An icicle formed in her hand. "Consider yourself lucky. At least you will not starve to death like your cannibal friends." The frozen men screamed for help, but none came. There was no one who could help them. They were completely at her mercy.

She used the icicle to cut the men's throat. It was too unrefined for a magical being. It resembled the killings from the stories from planet Earth.

The white snow turned red with the blood.

Then she left. The men were stil begging her to release them. She was not listening.

The cold did not hurt her anymore. She let go of her heavy clothing and enjoyed the sensations on her skin. She would leave this planet. She would go to Magix.

She would follow her destiny.


	9. Chapter 9

The atmosphere of Zenith was cold and filled with electricity. The capital city had the most advanced technology in all Magical realms, and it was designed in maximum order and symmetry. The sight was really aesthetically pleasing. They landed their ship in front of the government building. Zenith had no castles, nor kings and queens. The power was shared equally between twelve Enchantix fairies.

And they were all waiting for them. The fairies stood in a straight line, with a cold expression on their face. They had identical pixie cut hair, in unusual colors, like rosy pink and neon green. Faragonda and Saladin were also there, waiting. Behind them, there was the army of Zenith. Half of them fairies, half robots with actual human intelligence. First, their sworn allies made the appearance, in small groups. Meanwhile, Icy and Valtor were getting ready for their deceiving game. If they could fool Faragonda and Saladin today, nothing would stop their victory.

Icy felt incredibly uncomfotable in Griffin's body. She felt the weakness of old age, and the lack of dignity in the whole body. Two witches helped with the chains, another with the scars. The result was the illusion magic in highest quality. Icy, disguised as Griffin, their hostage. She looked half starved, and in pain. They were playing on the emotions of the enemy. Seeing her like this, they would have to think twice.

Meanwhile, Princess Diaspro was disguising herself as Icy. She did not feel uncomfortable about this temporary roleplay. There was no woman there who did not wish to be in her place.

Finally, they showed themselves. At the sight of Griffin, the Company of Light froze, their eyes fixed with worry and anger. Saladin was the first to speak. "Valtor, if you intend to have a civilized conversation, release Lady Griffin from those chains immediately!" Faragonda demanded him to keep calm. But her attention was also on her century old friend. _He plans something, that's for sure. We must act very carefully._

Icy faked a scared, pitiful expression. She wanted them to fear that she may have gone mad. Diaspro's job was standing beside Valtor all the time, and not speaking a word. Everything she would say might be off, and suspicious. But her silence was also something very unusual. Faragonda now adressed her, avoiding Valtor's gaze. "When this war is over, and you finally destroy yourself, that necklace of Bella will also burn your little queenie to the ground. Where are the other two? It seems like we don't have to do anything, you have already started to bite each other."

Valtor knew that she talked this way when she is unsure, anxious even. He smiled slightly. Before Diaspro could say anything stupid, he raised his hand. "I have made it clear that I do not want any fight today. Instead, we will have an exchange. I will release Griffin. I want the entire robotic army of Zenith, in return."

Saladin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Why would he release her? Why did not he killed her already? As if sensing those questions, Valtor spoke again. "I have intended to kill her before, as you may have suspected. But then I realized that it would be such a waste. No, I do not want to destroy her. When all this is over, she will be one of my mindless servants. Such vast knowledge should not be wasted. But right now, you can have your friend, and give me my army."

Griffin seemed like she has suffered a great deal. Faragonda could not clear her head. This was personal. As unprofessional as that was, she was getting sentimental. _This could be a trick. Maybe that is not Griffin at all._ She did not want to believe that. Valtor had reasons to keep her alive. The guardians of Zenith and Saladin still looked unsure. Faragonda whispered something in one of the fairies's ear. She then turned to others, as if asking for permission. Then she nodded. Faragonda then made the greatest mistake of her life. "The army is yours. Now release Griffin."

The chains dissapeared, the impostor fell to the ground. Faragonda and Saladin gently took her in their arms. They had to watch the control of the army being given to Valtor's hands. He seemed pretty satisfied. Faragonda swore to destroy that. They entered their ship and left, without causing any trouble.

The company of light carried their friend to their own ship. During the flight to Magix, Faragonda never left her side. She said she was not hungry and just wanted to sleep. No one talked inside the ship during the whole flight.

Griffin was taken care of in Faragonda's bedroom. After hours of medical treatment, they have decided that she was okay. No one detected any suspicious magic. The spell was far beyond their knowledge of the dark arts. At midnight, Faragonda came to the room from her office, extremely drained.

Only, Icy was not drained at all. The invisible necklace had doubled her powers, if not tripled them. And she had been lying down for so long, her body was begging for her to move. The impostor sat straight slowly, observing the lady. Faragonda asked her how she was. In a dry tone, she said she was alright. _She would commit another murder tonight. Because once you cross the threshold there was no turning back._ "I hope your students are all right. They did not harm them, I sincerely hope? " "As far as I know, no. Somebody was hurt, though." _What?_

Her heart paced. Did she hear her wrong? "What do you mean? Someone is dead? Who?" Griffin's eyes were blank and cold. She had a chilling sensation. This was not her friend. _No. For Dragon sake, please no._ Icy undid the magic in a second. She returned to herself, her necklace was shining in a silver light. Fully charged and ready to fight. "Griffin is. Killed by myself, as you will also be, tonight."

She may be drained, or old, or look fragile. The pure anger and hate in her eyes made her look really mighty and powerful. _She was called a lioness in her younger days._ But Icy trusted herself, because Belladonna was with her. Still, she was taken aback by the sudden transformation of the Fairy. "You.. are. OVER." Her attack hit Icy in the shoulder, and it really burned, but she did not scream. Moving fastly, she escaped the other attacks, thrown in an unreal pace. The old fairy knew where to hit to kill. She was the ultimate peace lover of Magix. She was all for pacifism, forgiveness. But tonight, she would kill this girl. She wanted nothing else.

The energy ball Faragonda threw was made of pure light, and nothing is more painful for someone involved in dark magic. The last time she had formed such an attack, she had killed Belladonna. Now, she would kill her heir.

Only, it did not hit her heart. But the silver necklace. Valtor had placed it exactly on her heart for protection, because he knew that Faragonda could not be underestimated. She blinked. Icy gasped. But she was unhurt. She instantly felt delighted, because Faragonda's wrath was turning into hopelessness. "I thought you would be more intelligent, Professor, I really did. Because you acted quickly and emotional, you will die. Leaving your school, and students, to us." At the mention of her students, she suddenly felt weaker with panic and regret. She also felt her legs starting to freeze. Then her upper body. Her wings.

The woman's mind was already away. She had lost. Because of her mistake, many children were in danger. _Bloom._ Tears formed in her eyes. She was trusting to her. What would she do now, against the enemy? Icy froze the entirety of the fairy. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.

Valtor found Icy on the floor, staring at the ice pieces. "I knew you could take her by yourself." Valtor looked at her with a new kind of look in his eyes. "You defeated a Major Fairy, who was in complete health and strenght. I respect you even more now." Icy stood up and looked him in the eye, then spoke in sarcastic tone. "Is this a confession of love, trying to sound professional and all?" Valtor smirked at her, and kissed her passionately. "I can't wait for the morning to come." Icy whispered to him. "I have to see the look in Bloom's eyes when she realizes what happened."

The dining room of Alfea was crowded with students and professors. Voices of chatter and laughter rose from many tables, but the table of the Winx was more silent. Musa had her headphones on, and she was in her own world. Layla played with her food with a gloomy expression, can't stopping herself from feeling Tecna's absence each second. _She sacrificed herself for my planet._ Bloom was observing her mother's necklace, as if searching for a clue inside it.

Stella felt herself suffocating. When she rose from her seat to get some fresh air, her friends did not bother to ask what was wrong.

She had been a complete stranger to melancholy. Since her childhood, she had been called a fountain of joy, of happiness. Nothing ever destroyed her spirit. Even in the darkest moments, she could shine within.

She had realized this was not true, when real dark days had begun. When they saw people die in war, and lose their friend, too. Stella bit her lip, and tried to focus on the present moment. She was walking the empty corridors of Alfea. She intended to get some fresh air. Then, she heard a female voice, getting slowly closer. And she recognized the sound. She stopped walking. She hid in the corner and let her Enchantix appear.

The footsteps were getting closer. Stella planned to hit the Trix from behind, when they walk pass her. As she waited, she recognized another voice. But it was a male.

 _It can not be. Faragonda said that was impossible, as long as she was alive he could not pass.._

It all dawned on her, all of a sudden. She could not control her breathing, nor her cry. "What is wrong, Princess? Can not cope with the darkness well?" Icy had the usual grin on her face. It was the most disgusting thing Stella ever saw. "How could you…" She attempted to attack, but Valtor cast his spell. "Stop, Fairy! Receive Valtor's Mark and surrender to me!" It appeared on her shoulder. The cursed sign, in the shape of a "V". Stella's eyes lost her spark. She suddenly looked empty, like a doll. "Get out now, and do nothing, till I say otherwise." Her lips moved automatically, her voice lacked charachter or emotion. "Yes, Master." She walked mechanically and slowly, out of their sight.

"What do you think?" Valtor asked, proudly. "I feel very positive about this." With the unusual answer, it was obvious that she was excited to see this. And he had guessed that much. "Let's make our appearance, shall we?"

"Good morning, ladies!" Silence. All eyes were fixed on Icy and Valtor as they placed themselves at Faragonda's usual place. All faces went white with fear. All, except the Winx. They did not waste a second to transform. All of them understood the meaning of this. Faragonda was gone.

There was no time to mourn. They had to silence their hearts, and turn their pain to anger and power. They almost succeeded. Before they could cast the Convergence spell, Valtor cast his own. "Fairies of Alfea. Receive Valtor's Mark, and surrender to me!" Within seconds, the room was filled with mindless slaves. But Icy's attention was on Bloom. Something was wrong.

She realized Bloom was wearing a necklace identical to hers, only it was golden. Even after Valtor's spell, the necklace kept shining. As the fairies lost their will power one by one, Bloom stood the same.

Valtor could not enslave her.

The fairy's eyes were closed. She was whispering an incantation, creating a protective barrier around herself. She did not bother to hide her anger as she spoke. "Do you think you can control me? Have you actually thought that?" She stepped closer to them. "I am protected by Queen Marion herself. And she will help me to finally destroy you."

Valtor saw the necklace vibrating. The object was so powerful, and he was not ready for it. He was not expecting this. Bloom eyed both of them, and spoke with confidence and determination. "Now, how do you want to die?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Now… How do you want to die?"

The fairy's aura shone with a threatening red. She formed a ball of fire in her hands, and even the sight of it burned the eye. They were cornered. Valtor raised his hand. "You know it very well, Bloom, you are putting all your friends in danger. Are you willing to take the risk?" Upon these words, he pointed to a random fairy. "You there! Kill the one, closest to you!"

Bloom's aura lost its spark. She needed to protect the fairies. But she couldn't act fast enough. _Coward bastard._ The freshman fairy attempted to make move towards her friend. Bloom's concentration was broken. She hold the hypnotized fairy, but she was still struggling to reach her friend, to follow her master's order. "Take it back, Valtor. Now."

Icy knew that this was so desperate on their part. They had been unprepeared, but she was not scared of the fairy. She talked in a voice only Valtor could hear. "I will propose a duel. She is protected from your magic. I may be able to take her down." Valtor slowly nodded to her, then he observed Bloom, still trying to hold the fairy down. "Stop, fairy. " She lost control of her body and let herself fall on Bloom's arms. Valtor saw the worry on her face. He decided to break her spirit further. "You and I will not fight today. We will do it wherever and whenever I say." Bloom had no patience for this. The loss of Miss Faragonda still burned her from within. "I will not kill you, Valtor. I will destroy your soul."

Valtor noticed Icy getting tense. But she stood motionless, Valtor had to make a scene first. He whispered to air, and sharp swords appeared in front of the fairies. "You have a selfish princess, you all. Selfish and dumb." Before Bloom could stop them, they started to randomly strike each other. The sight was so grotesque, like an army of mechanical dolls.

Bloom saw her three classmates fall, wounded, to the floor.

"Go. Take them, and go. But I swear to you, you will pay for this."

After that, she actually recognized Icy's presence. Her attention had been focused on Valtor, but now she was looking down at her, threateningly. Bloom knew it was Icy who had killed Faragonda, then allowed Valtor to come inside the building. She eyed the witch with intense fury, and let her hands go warm again. "My truce for today does not apply to you."

Icy took one more glance at her partner, then she stood in front of her nemesis. "I am glad to hear that. In fact, you and I will have a duel. I am sure your mother's little charm will not stand long in ice."

After these words, Valtor vanished, taking his slaves with him. Bloom and Icy were left alone in Alfea. It was the first time Icy saw her as an Enchantix fairy. Her wings looked subtler and stronger at the same time. Her hair was longer, and she had an overall self awareness, knowing full well her origins and potential. The last time she had fought her alone two years ago, Bloom's intention had been to protect herself and those on her side, from her claim for absolute control. She had fought the little girl, and she had lost.

The shame had been unbearable for her. She had felt mocked by destiny itself. When everything had been going according to the plan, a child had defeated her. And she had left her alive. To suffer shame, probably.

But now, Bloom ached for revenge. Valtor had took her parents, her planet, and almost herself. He had left her crownless. A wanderer in the magical realm, who belonged to nowhere. And Icy was the killer of her one trusted guide, dear old Faragonda.

But today, she would not lose. Bloom would not spare her this time. And Valtor counted on her. She had felt an overwhelming pride when Valtor praised her for taking Faragonda down. She was actually glad that the fairy was unbroken by Valtor's spell. She wanted to be the one who destroyed her.

Bloom would prefer Icy as a leader of a coven of three, instead of a wife to the wizard. She would prefer to face three of them, than standing face to face with the ice witch who was more delusional than ever. _Whatever fantasy you have in your twisted mind, I will break it._ "So be it, then. Over the lake, like the last time?" Without waiting for a reply, she teleported herself and Icy to the forest.

Icy wasted no time to freeze the ground and every tree around, and take the forest to her side. Bloom was not impressed, she started flying, high. The threatening aura of red appeared again. Icy felt a burning sensation in her chest, in the presence of the draconic energy. For protection, she imagined the eternal winter of Whisperia and created a thick barrier of unbreakable ice around her. She realized Bloom was still as impulsive as ever. Her magic was already hard to control, and with the fury of the fairy, it could easily be self destructive.

They have arrived at the lake. Ready. Set. Fight.

The lights of exploding magic was so bright that they could not even see each other, but feel the magical opposite. For the past weeks, Valtor had been training Icy on facing her opposing magic. She knew the dragon fire, its strenght and weaknesses. And yes, it had weaknesses.

If Bloom was pushed hard enough, she could destroy everything. What Icy intended to do was to bring her to destroy herself. She trapped the fairy, expecting her to break free from the ice cage in seconds. Only, it did not take her even a second. She was explosive. "I heard you are still searching for your parents! That Faragonda was telling you sweet lies, of a possible happily ever after?" Bloom managed to somehow hear her, inside the hurricane of her flame. Icy's mentioning of her parents and Faragonda so casually drove her even more mad. "Don't waste your breath now, will you? " Icy chose her words carefully. There was no lie in those words, and Bloom felt it in her deepest core. "Your hopes are in vain. Your father was killed by Valtor, and your mother, by Belladonna. But why would you believe me, right? I am just trying to break your spirit. But you know it is true." The spark of red was starting to cover the whole sky now. "How would you know what I know, Icy? What would you know about hoping? You don't have what it takes to believe in happiness, or the bond of a family! You are rotten, dead inside!" Icy could see her spirit starting to break. Bloom could deny all she wanted, but her hopes of a future happiness was slowly fading away. Those feelings did not help her. Her magic was born out of life, out of a creation of joy. Icy observed her energy field slowly losing its spark.

"Do you want to hear what I know?" They were standing face to face, floating on air. Bloom's eyes were cold, far away. She did not respond. "I know that, once something is truly lost, one can never get it back again." Even though she spoke with a dull, monotonous voice, Bloom sensed something in those words which she never felt with Icy before. Something true and honest. It made her even more mad. She was attacking non-stop now, but Icy managed to block her magic, remaining unhurt. She continued, staring deep into Bloom's eyes. "You will come to realize, princess, that you are not different from the rest of us. You are hoping the universe will spare you, because you are the lovely daughter of the Dragon?" Bloom's attacks were getting weaker. "You are as lonely as the rest of us, if not more. You imagine a bond with a non-existing family, just like you imagined you had friends who cared for you. Where are they now? A simple spell was enough to erase the love and loyalty. As if it never existed." The fairy's wings seemed to lose some strength. Icy's words were coming from a void of cold, a relentless emptiness. Bloom dreaded the thought of understanding what she was saying. She would rather die than to feel her core, or empathize with her. She was a murderous villain, trying to sound philosophical. That was all. "I should have killed you when I had the chance, Icy. Death would suit you more than anyone."

She sounded like she was giving up. Back in the day, Belladonna had proved herself stronger than Marion, even though no history book would write it. Now, her heir was about to take down the princess, for good.

"Do not imagine yourself as a hero. I see it in your eyes, all you desire is vengeance. But you have no reason to hate me, I have never deceived you. I opened your eyes more than once, but you chose to remain a child and believe this life is not a chaotic, ruthless graveyard."

She then trapped the drained fairy in ice. She could not break free this time. They had stopped floating. Bloom was stuck to a large willow tree, her wings shuddering in the cold. Icy walked towards her, the muddy ground turned snowy with her steps. She took the fairy's face in her hands…

In Red Fountain, Saladin was worried. He had not been able to sleep all night, he could not stop thinking about Griffin. He could not let go of the feeling that something was so terribly wrong. So that morning, he had sent his most trusted student squad to Alfea. Prince Sky, Brandon, his grandson Helia and Riven had reported to him that when they had arrived at the school, no one was there. The young men were extremely worried for their girlfriends, so they were searching the forest right now.

This meant that they have been deceived. And Faragonda was gone. He was the last one left, last living member of the Company of Light. And Valtor would attack Red Fountain next...

 _It is happening,_ Icy thought, observing the last remaining spark of hope leave the eyes of the fairy. The cheek started to lose its color, she was sucking the life out of it. Her pretty face was starting to resemble a doll's, then…

Icy's back instantly burned with a sharp pain. Before falling down on her knees, she felt the cold touch of the sword, which had ripped her clothing off.

"Icy! Stop there, you wretch!"

She could not find the time to be shocked, or mad. She was losing blood, and fast. While the three boys were rescuing Bloom and wrapping her in a blanket, Sky was approaching her, threateningly. The young man drew his sword, ready to execute the witch. "It is over now. You can say your last prayers, if you ever have one."

Valtor had been watching the two fight from Cloudtower, looking through his crystal ball. He had been backing Icy up with incantations, which aimed at weakening Bloom's mind and spirit. And they have almost succeeded taking the princess down.

His whole body went tense, when he saw the Prince of Eraklyon strike her. When he watched his queen bleeding on the ground, he swore to himself that the kid's death will not be quick or painless.

He had a plan for this type of a situation.

He called for three of his slaves. They instantly appeared in his office. Stella of Solaria, Flora of Linphea, Musa of Melody.

"You know what you must do. Yes?" The fairies nodded in a mechanical movement. Valtor teleported them and himself to the forest.

Sky's sword escaped his hands. It turned elastic, then liquid. Before they could know what had happened, they saw their girlfriends, attacking them. To kill them. Seeing Valtor, Sky quickly stood in front of Bloom, who was still in a weak state. He was ready to give his life for her if necessary. But his attention went elsewhere, when he saw Brandon fall down. Wounded by Stella, the light of his life, whose eyes now had no sign of a life. He screamed in despair. Valtor just stared, with a hardened expression. Icy was in a critical condition. He would come back for these miserable boys, but later. He took Icy in his arms and they appeared in their private chambers.

The scent of sage and healing weeds filled the airy room. Valtor's healing capacities were in fact, as strong as his destructive magic, but he was less popular for that. Icy felt the pain slowly going numb. She was lying down on their bed, on her face. Valtor's warm hands were vibrating the healing magic, his touch on her back was soothing, she felt her mind drifting away.

She heard him whispering an incantation, which was erasing the wound from the sword, and renewing the damaged body. After half an hour, she slowly turned and sat upright. "I was so close." She could still feel the soft face of the fairy in her fingertips. She had been so close. And the thought of being vulnerable to that pathetic sword… She clenched her fists. She may not find such an opportunity again. She would never catch the fairy alone again.

"I will kill that boy for this. I will tear him into pieces." Valtor took her tense hands in his. He looked calm, but still, she could feel the depth of destructive emotions within. "You did incredibly well. Again." He kissed her so hard that she thought for a second her healed wound may open again. But she would not care. She felt so safe with him.

"We should bath together. You are all muddy still." Without waiting for a reply, he took her in his arms and carried her to their bathroom. It was as large as their bedroom, and it was decorated with specific objects, which renewed and charged one's magic whilst taking a shower. It was the perfect place to go after a battle. And the bathtub was large enough for two.

They got rid of each other's clothing. Then Valtor did a simple spell to fill the bath with soothing cold water. He lighted the candles, the fire reflected the maroon color of the walls. When Icy stepped inside the freezing water, she instantly felt cleaner, calmer and stronger. It was too cold for Valtor, but today she was the one who decided the warmth of the water. She saw the man shiver slightly, and his lips looked frostbitten. _He is probably in pain, but he won't confess it._ She smirked to him, while smiling teasingly. In her mind, she had been victorious today. What had happened was destiny trying to break her. And that was not going to happen, ever.

She acted first this time, caressing his sharp cheekbones with one hand, while her other hand went in the opposite direction. She climbed over him, making the man sink deeper into the cold water. Then she kissed the frostbitten lips, while pulling the sandy blond hair. Valtor had never known freezing in pain could turn to such pleasure. Her silvery hair almost looked identical with the water, and inside the water, she was a siren. This was one of the moments he wanted her to take control. Only she could reign in the cold.

He returned her passionate kiss. He tried so hard to control himself, but when she backed away a bit, he saw her nipples went to a color of ice blue. It was so unreal, he could not help himself. Icy grinned, when she realized he was done but trying to hide it. "Valtor." She fixed her eyes to the water. He realized she was slowly out of the teasing mood, and contemplating on something very serious. "She would not be able to destroy you, Valtor. She would not dare to. She will have to kill me first." She had a look in her eyes, which made him think of Belladonna. She had been planning for something. "And why is that?" She stayed quiet for almost a minute. The she whispered something in his ear. After her revelation, Valtor stared at her necklace, which shone bright during her whisper, as if approving her plan. He could not reply. It was madness. It was so beautiful. Something that, only Icy could do.

He bent over and kissed her again.


	11. Chapter 11

_And no rain can wash away those bloody tears_

 _As sweet sounds of destruction reach my ears_

 _Red lips like roses call my name_

 _But laughter is all the woman of now hears_

 _-Xandria, "Ginger"_

It had been an illusion.

The river was not filled with blood. It was clean, tasteless water. The fruits were not rotten. Only the inside of her mind had been. Whatever magic had caused the forest to change, it seemed like it had lost its strength. It had been a few weeks at most. For Darcy, it had felt like centuries.

She was bitter.

After a long period of denial, she had started to feel regret for certain choices she had made. This life could have been so different for her, if only she had not agreed to join a coven, and give the control of her destiny to someone else.

And after everything they have been through together, she had thrown her away, to suffer her fate.

The poison which filled her insides were begging to be released. She would not become a victim again. She would make her suffer this time.

Her body and mind started to regain its strength. Her magic was restored. The time might have been an illusion, but she was feeling herself much older. She had survived a forest gone wild. She had felt the ancient spirits around, all trying to break her, condemning her for her sins. But the Witch of Illusions could not be destroyed by her own magic.

What exactly did she want to do to Icy?

They have been so close back in the day. Darcy had managed to be intimate with her, she could find her way through her walls of ice. She had not been completely honest all the time. She remembered the first and last time she had used her magic on Icy.

 _Three years ago. Their third year in Cloudtower. Darcy is on her bed, lying on her stomach. She is looking through her assignment for tommorrow, on which she had been working hard on for a week. She had written down at least fifty different plants from ten different realms, and their usage on both healing and creating damage. Her handwriting is the most aesthetic of all three coven sisters, and her work is the neatest._

 _Stormy has her headphones on, she is mixing two nail polishes to create a new kind of red._

 _Darcy's attention focuses on Icy. She has already completed and handed her assignment. She is writing down something on her personal planner, which they are not allowed to even touch. She also has headphones on but Darcy knows there is no music playing. She despises it. Headphones are for silence, a complete silence to think._

 _Darcy has always identified herself as bisexual, so before attending Cloudtower, she had expectations from both Red Fountain, and here._

 _But she had not expected something like this._

 _She had intended to play around. Seduce, and leave. Break hearts. Be in control. But in this case, she feared that she was not the one who is in control. And what disturbed Darcy was that, she was, in a way, allowing this._

 _Lately, she had been hanging around Red Fountain more often. And she knew that it was making Icy uncomfortable. She also wanted her. But she would never, ever say anything. This complete detachment and coldness drew Darcy mad. She was not making this up, she was not delusional. Icy was obsessed with her._

 _But she had other obsessions as well, which went much deeper than a crush._

 _Darcy was the first one to know her past. She had told her what happened to her, and the revelation Belladonna did. Darcy remembered being mesmerized. Something like this was beyond any young witch's wildest dreams. After their first intimacy, first sharing, Darcy had always desired her company. Being near her made her feel so important. And the things she was promising were driving her crazy._

 _The girl was insane._

 _Darcy was healthy in her head, or so she had believed. If a normal girl meets someone who planned to steal the most archaic force in universe, to make herself the queen of everything, and is even willing to start a war for this… she would run away, and be absolutely creeped out._

 _But Darcy loved that. So maybe, she may not have a healthy mind after all._

 _The kids in Red Fountain were not impressive to her. The motorcycles, rock bars and casual sex were for sure fun, but at some times, Darcy would prefer to just watch Icy staring at her planner, thinking God knows what. Also, observing her beautiful body at the same time._

 _In their room, she usually wore a plain white nightgown, and let her hair loose. She lighted candles, usually scented vanilla or mint. Her bed was always made, and she was always busy with something, be it schoolwork or their private agenda._

 _One night, Stormy was out in Magix, and Darcy had suggested that they should see this new movie together, in her computer. She had invited her to sit together in her bed._

 _Two girls had sat together, Darcy with a cup of tea, and Icy with milkshake. She was not talkative, as always, but Darcy was determined to get a confession out of her. In her computer, she had left the message board open on purpose, so she could also see the messages she was getting from Red Fountain. The boys were sending her pictures, which Darcy replied with a very teasing photo of herself. She faked an "oops" and closed the massage board. She had hoped to hear a comment from Icy, but she seemed disinterested, which started to annoy her._

" _It is getting really hot." She took her shirt off, now she was only wearing her bra with purple lace on. "Yes, it is annoying." Icy rolled her eyes. She knew, of course, movie was just an excuse. "What are we seeing?" Darcy's eyes shone with anticipation. "It is about a wizard who is sent to Earth for exile, and has to find his soulmate to return to Magical Dimension." "That sounds extremely bad." Darcy smiled slightly, she had expected this reaction. "Yes, but the actor is hot and there are some steamy scenes!" Icy's expression read like "whatever", so Darcy started the movie._

 _During the first twenty minutes, they did not talk. Darcy would not waste her chance tonight. Stormy rarely left them alone. She had to make Icy confess she was interested in her. Icy was aware of her effect on the brunette, but she kept denying that she was also enchanted by her._

 _Darcy still pretended to be disturbed by the warm weather. She came a bit closer to Icy. Her body was always chilling cold. She slowly dropped her head on her shoulder, which made Icy go slightly tense. She was not comfortable with being that close."This is more terrible than I thought. I think I am going to sleep." She attempted to get up, but Darcy grabbed her arm, a little harder than she had intended. "What?" This was not a friendly question. Darcy deserved this, because she was acting like she was mad. She was going to be clear this time. "Icy, can we talk? Now?" Icy dropped herself to bed with a sigh."I am listening." Darcy stared at her, then spoke very carefully. "We have been a coven for almost three years now. I think you know where I stand and my feelings for both of you." Icy returned her stare. Her expression was giving nothing away. "I remember telling you before, that I don't talk about feelings. This coven exists for a purpose and only for that. We are not friends, and I don't want…"_

" _That is a lie."_

 _She had sounded a bit threatening, and she regretted it instantly. But she continued. "Don't deny what we have between us. I am special to you, Icy, you love me!"_

 _Darcy thought she saw an amused look on her face, which came and went very quickly. She realized she may have made a mistake. Her hands and face felt really warm, and her heart beat became louder. But Icy was not affected. She came very close to her and took her face in her cold hands. Her words tasted like iron and ash._

" _You are nothing to me, Darcy, and if you continue to act this unprofessional, I will have to replace you with someone else. Don't look at me like that, it is pathetic."_

 _With a sudden rush of anger, Darcy jumped off her bed. She was going to use her mind controlling magic, to make her reveal the truth. Icy would never forgive her for this, but Darcy knew that she was not replacable. No one could be this close, intimate with her. She would never find anyone else who would balance her coldness and detachment with her deepness and darkness._

 _She casted the spell._

" _Let go of your self control and show me your true feelings."_

 _It had worked. Darcy felt the creeping anxiety within. She was controlling her with magic. She dared to do that._

 _But she could panic for that later._

 _She saw her lips starting to part. She was still struggling to keep control, but her spell was stronger. Her voice betrayed her. "You are not nothing to me. You are… enchanting to me, I would never send you away."_

 _What have I done, Darcy thought, realizing she had not hoped for the magic to work. She was making her to be honest, by force._

 _But she could not turn back now. This was going to be their first and last night of true honesty._

 _She took her bra off._

 _She was not wrong about Icy desiring her. She had not been so right about anything, in fact. With boys, Darcy was the mistress, always in control. But with Icy, she wanted to surrender. She would let her do whatever she wanted with her. And she did._

 _She was not soft or gentle. But she did not expect that anyway. But she was surprised when she heard Icy whisper to her, calling her a hare, a fearless one. And she has always identified as a wolf._

 _So this had been her secret fantasy which she never planned to reveal. She had violated her privacy, which she so dearly valued._

 _The magic started to lose its strength. The pleasure was over, the anxiety returned._

 _Before Icy could clear her head completely, Stormy returned to room, which was a relief. She saw the look on Darcy's eyes, and Icy sleeping, in her bed. "What have you done?" She whispered to Darcy, sensing her nervousness. Darcy covered her face with her hands. "She will kill me."_

 _Then, Stormy knew. She had always sensed the strange chemistry between the two. And she knew what Darcy could do to someone's mind if she desired so._

" _Yes, sister, you are fucked."_

 _Icy had not killed her, obviously, but she had gone mad. She never trusted her again. She froze her for almost two days , left her unable to even feed herself. But she knew that she deserved it._

 _She was the leader of the coven. What she had done was unforgivable._

Darcy knew what to do to destroy her.

What had kept Icy alive on that dark night, and what made her keep surviving afterwards. The powerful belief in her destiny, the obsession with being the chosen one.

She was going to take that away.

Her magic had never felt stronger. And the destructive emotions never went deeper. All she had to do was to convince Icy to believe her prophecy had been a lie. She would never be more than what she is now. She was not meant to be anything. Darcy did not plan to show her face, not really. She wanted to visit her in her sleep, where the mind is most vulnerable.

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Icy was alone in their room, resting. Valtor had three different meetings until the evening, in which the main discussion was what to do with Red Fountain. That castle was all the Company of Light had left with, and Saladin was not alone there anymore. After the news of Faragonda's death, royalty of Solaria had arrived at the school and Bloom was in protection.

Also, they were holding the Princess of Solaria as hostage. They would not dare to do anything right now.

The knocking at her door stopped her thoughts. She wore a dark blue satin gown, and silver high heels. She applied her usual make up and did her ponytail, then went to open her door. She saw Princess Diaspro, waiting anxiously. She knew the reason of this visit. Valtor must have revealed his intentions regarding the Prince of Eraklyon. Diaspro would try to convince Icy to change Valtor's mind.

"May I, your majesty?"

She accepted her in. She had noticed the fairy's discomfort at calling a witch her majesty. It seemed wrong somehow, out of place. But if she wanted to take part in their future glory, she had to swallow her pride. Icy showed her the guest chair, while she sat on Valtor's. "I know why you came." The princess looked at her directly, worry written on her face. She really loved that boy.

Diaspro had to be two or three years older than her, but she had a more delicate face with softer features. She always let her wavy golden hair loose, the locks looked extremely soft and shiny. She was now wearing a long maroon dress, and red jewels covered her neck and forehead. Her usually elegant, proud expression was clouded with fear. She struggled to speak in a strong voice. "Prince Sky is a very exceptional young man. He is very skilled, chivalrous, and… maybe we can lure him to our side. I know you can do that."

Icy listened her with a stone cold expression, then she spoke calmly. "Your prince almost killed me. He should pay with his life." Diaspro was not surprised to hear this, but she could not stop her anger from rising. _He is the reason I call someone like you a queen. Just for my love, nothing else._ She did not say anything. She realized coming to her was useless. She could never understand.

"Sorry for bothering you for nothing." _I hope that wound kills you after all._ She silently walked towards the door, while the younger girl did not attempt to rise. She did not look at the princess while she left.

Icy saw no one else that day. She spent the day diving into Valtor's old books. Then she was looking through her old stuff she moved here from her old room. A shiny ring caught her eye. It was not hers. It was snake-shaped, and dark green, which she had bought for Darcy in her eighteenth birthday. _Where are they now?_ They had enemies everywhere, nowhere except Cloudtower was safe. Where could they go? She had not given them a thought for weeks. Her attention had been focused on Valtor, Bloom, Company of Light. Where were her coven sisters, two witches with whom she had an eternal bond with?

Weeks ago, while she and Valtor were not official yet, she had been paranoid about them plotting against her. She knew it had been only half a truth. But she did not trust Darcy. And Stormy could easily be manipulated by Darcy.

But now, she was sure about Valtor, and she knew he regarded her the same way. He have been told her that he would prefer the two still being here. But they had a very bitter conversation that day. She had probably pushed them much far away than she had intended.

It was still early, but Icy went to bed anyway. She wanted tomorrow to arrive soon. Her usual irritability was not there today, so she quickly drifted into sleep.

 _Whisperia._

 _A little girl with grey eyes._

 _Bearded men eating human flesh._

 _A goddess. A prophecy. A crown made of ice._

 _She opened her eyes. And saw the child. Herself. She screamed. Her little self looked at her, with a fearful expression on her face. Icy tried to call her name. Her birth name. But when she spoke, the little girl screamed in terror. She called her mother. She was afraid from a stranger. She had the same grey eyes, she was no human but a monster. A tyrant. Killer. Hell hound. Villain._

 _Anything but a human._

 _The little girl is crying, but it is so damn cold! The blue tears turn to ice and it hurts her delicate skin. Icy is still watching the girl. Hears her words and the pure terror in her voice._

 _It feels like glass piercing through her heart._

 _She wants her to not fear her, this girl is herself!_

 _An evil laughter. A goddess appears. No, not goddess. Someone beautiful, but rotten inside. Belladonna._

" _Are you sure you are the same person? Look at her! She is innocent, as pure as this virgin snow. You still think you are this girl, after all this years?" She laughs nastily again. Icy's insides are still hurting, she hardly finds the strength to speak. "But you were the one who saved me. You told me… that I would change inevitably when I received my magic. That is was my destiny to…" "Destiny? Hah!" The witch's blue eyes instantly turned golden, and her aura had purple sparkles in it. "You really believed that? I was just playing with you! You were miserable, and about to die! I decided to make an epic revelation to a helpless child and, giving her more than she could control, I wanted to watch how she would make a fool of herself! Wake up girl, you are nothing! You are not chosen, I lied to you! And why did I? Why not, just for fun! Being dead is very boring!" With one final laughter, she dissappeared. Icy was left alone with Winter. The child still feared her. She was still hateful. Disgusted._

 _Everything had been in vain._

 _Dragon fire. Her coven. Valtor. Everything she took for granted never belonged to her._

 _She had always been nothing._

 _The numbness used to be her strength. But now, she could not breath in it. Hate still remained. Cruelty remained. Bitterness remained._

 _Desire was gone._

 _Her necklace fall to the ground and shattered to pieces._

 _The end. She had to bring the end. She would not go, just like that. If she can not bring herself to life, then she was going to take everyone's life away._

She woke up. But the dream remained.


	12. Chapter 12

_We are the fires of hell, we are the deep rough sea_

 _We are the stormy air, we are we_

 _We are the ashes of time, and we are banshee_

 _Through the darkness, sisters, follow me!_

 _-Xandria, "Sisters of the Light"_

The forest returned to normal.

Stormy had been in a state of half dreaming, since she had lost Darcy. She had searched for her everywhere, but all she could find was loneliness, even the trees had no sign of life. She had prayed then, for the ancient spirits who were on the side of Ancestresses. She wanted to numb the fear, the fear of the forest swallowing all of her.

It was over. She could sense life again. She was out of the limbo. She had to find Darcy. They were connected on a spiritual level, so she trusted her gut and followed the currents of the wind. She was close. What had happened to them? It had been a fairy magic, she had felt it. And why was it over? Was the fairy dead? Hopefully so. She could almost see Valtor's mark on the sky. They had the upper hand, at last.

 _They._

Valtor and Icy? Or, Valtor, and the Trix? She remembered what Icy told her that day. _You were just a weapon to me. Miserable orphan._ Stormy had not been afraid to show that she was hurt. She was not a block of ice. She could feel.

Stormy knew that it was her madness speaking, and paranoia. She feared that they had intentions for Valtor. That they were somehow a threat to her. She should have realized by now that this was far from true. The reason they had stuck together was because they were an unbreakable coven. And Stormy was determined to make it stay that way. She would not lose the only family she ever had.

Then she saw her. On the floor, heavily breathing. She looked drained, as if she had wasted all her magic on one, extremely difficult task. _Please tell me you did not._ "Darcy!" She jumped at her voice. She turned to her instantly like a scared hare, lost in the forest. She ran to her and embraced her very tightly, while shivering slightly. "I have done something, Stormy. Very bad." _Please tell me you did not hurt her._ She had never seen Darcy like this before. Even when she would mess something up, she would keep her cool extrerior. "What? What happened? How much time has past, exactly?" She had more questions coming up, but she shut up. Darcy covered her face with her hands. "I was so mad at Icy for sending us away. And the forest was messing with me, I could not think straight. I.. I messed with her mind, again. I impersonated Belladonna and…" "What?!" Stormy felt the panic rising. This was blasphemy. Trying to mess with the Ancestress was unforgivable. She suddenly worried, intensely. "Darcy, how can you be this… mad?!"

"I wanted to hurt her. I tried to make her believe that her destiny had been a lie… And I fear that, it may have worked." Stormy gasped in shock. If she had killed Icy, that would have been more merciful.

She felt herself getting mad. The coven was shattering inside. This could not happen. She raised her hand, and slapped Darcy. The loud sound made some birds fly away in panic.

"Take it back, Darcy. Repair the damage, NOW!"

Repairing the damage? How could she do that? She had been good at giving pain. Could she also take that away? More importantly, what was Icy doing right now? Has she lost it already? Could she hurt herself? Observing her dream had been painful for Darcy. Her child self still haunted her mind. When she saw her, she wanted to take all of it back. But it had been too late, the spell had already been casted.

"I don't know how to take it back. Maybe Valtor can." _Valtor._ Why did he have to appear? He was the one who took their sister away. Stormy knew how childish this thought was, but she could not help it.

Before she could answer, the sky turned red.

They felt the presence of someone ancient and powerful. Much more powerful than Valtor, and much scarier too. They could not believe their eyes.

Belladonna.

 _She is impersonated her. Bella would make her pay._ Stormy held her sister behind her, as if trying to protect her. But no one could protect them from the original ice witch. Her blue eyes shone with a reddish light, and she did not recognize Stormy. She was looking at Darcy. She spoke with the deepest, creepiest voice they could ever imagine.

"How dare you mess with my plans? How dare you attempt to hurt your coven sister? Answer me!"

Darcy could not look her in the eye. She could not speak a word. Only, she was grateful that Stormy was there. "She was out of her head, your majesty. Someone cast a spell on us…" "That is no excuse!" They felt the temperature drop rapidly. Darcy started to shiver violently, while whispering something she could not understand. _Please Icy, be fine please be fine._

Belladonna observed the two for a minute. Then she spoke in a calmer, almost whispery voice. "All three of you need to remember what being a coven means. It is the most ancient and powerful bond anyone could have. You have been acting so unprofessional, and emotional." She then turned to Stormy. "Except you, _reflection of Tharma,_ you have been loyal. It is for your sake that I will leave this girl unharmed, this time." Darcy found the courage to look at her at last. Disapproval was written on her face, but she was not glowing red. The aura was a comforting blue now. "I will take you to Cloudtower. You three will not break apart like this again. I hope you have learned your lesson. This goes to Icy, too. I will not let her ruin herself. Come on, now!"

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"My lord? What is the matter?"

Valtor was sitting at his usual place in the table, running the final meeting of the night. He had stopped in the middle of the sentence. He had a vision. He saw a crown made of ice, falling down and breaking. With the image, a feeling of void arrived. The sensation of being completely lost, all of your dreams turning to ash.

He left the room with no explanation. He had to see if Icy was okay.

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When Icy woke up, her hand directly went to her necklace. It was unbroken, stil vibrant as always. But she still had the deadly numbness inside.

This was too cruel a punishment, even for her.

Her mind still fought back. She tried to convince herself that it was just a dream. But the self doubt and anxiety proved stronger. _When Valtor knows he will be so dissapointed he will not respect you anymore you will be nothing to him._ The thoughts were pacing. She covered herself with her arms. If there had not been a tiniest of belief left, she would not hesitate to bring self destruction, and take everyone with her.

But she believed in herself.

That dark night had been the most powerful experience of her life. She had felt that it was meant to be, in her deepest core. She still remembered the moment fresh ice started to flow in her veins. How strong and special she had felt. It could not be a lie.

She had been so fragile in that dream. She had lost hope and felt the dark abyss of nothingness. She had forgotten herself. She would prefer hell fire over that dreadful feeling of nothingness.

But her mind was still stronger than her unconsciousness. She had always managed to control her deepest fears. So she could control that dream, too.

Doubt. Confidence. Doubt. Confidence.

The internal war went on for half an hour. She had not realized that, in her desperation, she had created icicles hanging around in the room, ready to crash her in case of a violent outburst. Then Valtor came.

"Icy, what is wrong? What happened?"

Then Valtor froze in fear. He had noticed something so out of place.

Icy was shivering.

She could not feel cold. If she could, that would mean one thing, the most horrifying thing. That her magic was leaving her. And that was only possible if one stopped believing in it.

He realized some sparkles of amateur illusion magic in her aura. He instantly understood what had happened. He started an incantation immediately. He managed to reach to her dream, and he saw what his wife has been through.

It hurt like hell. He wanted to save her from all this. But she also had to help him. "Come to yourself, Icy, you have been tricked. Help me to erase this dark magic from you." _Tricked._ She slowly calmed down. Valtor was not treating her differently. He was still looking at her the same way. Like his equal. And she believed this was true. Something this wonderful could not have been a lie.

"Valtor. She is fine now, my son. Now take these two, and don't punish the foxy one for this. I have granted her pardon, just for the sake of the other. I have not revealed it, but this coven of three is also a part of my prophecy. They shall be sisters forever."

Bella did not make an appearance. They only heard her words. Then Darcy and Stormy appeared in the room. They looked exhausted.

Valtor stood up, eyeing both of them. First, he approached Stormy and placed his hand on her shoulder. The girl looked at him with a slight resentment. "I am glad you are finally here. Take care of your sister, as she will also do the same." With the last words, he looked at Icy. She slowly nodded.

Then Valtor turned to Darcy, but he did not touch her. "You will fix whatever problem you have between you. If Belladonna had not want you three together at all costs, I would surely punish you severely. I want no further drama."

He left the room.

Stormy was the first to move. She sat on Icy's bed, uninvited. Icy was still in a low spirit because of her dream, and knowing that Darcy had caused it did not help too. They have both hurt each other, but they had to act like a coven and stay together at all costs. This was the meaning of being professional. Stormy looked at Darcy, who was standing at the furthest corner of the room. "Darcy, can you come here?" Stormy felt herself responsible to make things right. Belladonna had praised her. Those two have been acting wrongly. Now she had to help them to make it right.

"You heard Bella, right? A coven is a coven for eternity. And, Icy, we also have a place in your prophecy. When you achieve your destiny with Valtor, we will also be there." This was the truth. These people were her sisters for eternity.

"Darcy, why did you do that to me?" Icy was still drained from that dream. Even though she knew it had been an illusion, it felt traumatic. She never knew that her self confidence was that fragile. "I was hurt, sister. You have no idea what happened to us. Someone literally threw us to hell. But I did not think… I acted very quickly. You know me, I am vindictive."

"That does not sound like an apology to me." Darcy had no strength for more resistance. "I am sorry, Icy. " She attempted to leave, but Stormy held her arm. "Wait a second. Icy, aren't you forgetting something?" She knew that she was right. Icy had wronged them. Badly. They have always been loyal to her. Darcy used to be in love with her, and for a brief period, she had returned it. And Stormy saw her as family, as a mother she never had. She had been so terrible.

But saying those words were hard for her. So damn hard.

"If we want to succeed against the Company of Light, we can not afford to fight amongst each other. We are…" "Icy, I want a simple word from you. Just once. Then we will leave."

She was not going to give up.

Icy observed both of them. Those were the people whom she swore to have an eternal bond with. She could not afford to lose them. They were destined to be a coven for eternity, and sisters with bad blood between them always led each other to destruction.

"I am sorry. For sending you away."

A miraculous moment which would never repeat itself again. And they would not want it to. It was a bit awkward.

She then told them that she had to sleep. And that they needed to do the same. They silently left for their separate rooms.


	13. Chapter 13

The sisters woke up at dawn.

This morning, the coven would present themselves to their allies for the first time. Valtor would announce Darcy and Stormy as heirs to Lyssliss and Tharma. This would end the rumors about the coven having broken up. Also, some witches had been secretly hoping that Icy would replace her sisters with some of them. After todays breakfast those futile hopes would be long gone.

Darcy watched herself in the mirror, so far pleased with the sight. Icy had given her this dress, and in it, she looked like night personified. It was made of shiny black material and had silvery moons on the breast area, with a deep cleavage and lace details in the arms. She brushed her long hair and applied some golden dust, which she also used as eyeshadow. Lastly, she put on a dark lipstick. She did not know anyone she was about to meet. She had to make a good impression. There had to be many young wizards too, and they would be eager to meet with her. She was not a naive girl, she knew that they would be eager to have her just for a higher position in Valtor's court. But maybe…

Stormy came in her room. She was wearing a long, red velvet dress, with her usual dramatic make up. She also seemed eager for the meeting. "Are you ready?" Darcy nodded, checking her face one last time. They still had an hour until the meeting, so they were going to their new coven room which Valtor had prepeared for the three of them to meet. Walking the corridors, they could see people at the bottom of the tower, heading to the dining area. Witches, wizards, fairies from all over the dimension, waiting to meet their two ladies, as Valtor had titled them. Darcy took it all for granted, but being called a lady was still too good to be true for Stormy, she needed some time to get used to it.

Icy was waiting for them in their room. Darcy felt herselft speechless when she saw inside, there were ancient spellbooks from distant worlds which she only heard their mention in legends. She never imagined having the chance to see them. But now they were laid open for her, to use them for her own desires. "Exciting, right?" Icy closed the book she had been reading and stood up. She was wearing a shining silver dress which looked like it was made of little pieces of ice. She had her usual ponytail, but it was the first time they saw their sister wearing a crown. The sight was so true, so fitting. She looked mesmerizing. They also noticed Belladonna's necklace, the silver dragon on her. But apart from all these, they noticed their sister was also different.

She did not approach them with suspicion and paranoia anymore. It was clear that she did not want any disharmony between the three. There was also the fact that her position as the queen was now unquestionable. And both sisters felt how right it is. Her magic also felt much more powerful, and you could feel it just by being in her presence. She may be even greater than Bella one day. Darcy could not believe she once thought she could replace her. That hope was creating a vague feeling of shame now, like it was a kind of blashemy.

All three were where they were meant to be.

"So, what is new?" Stormy asked, applying a darker shade of lipstick. Darcy noticed Icy grin slightly, and she felt a revelation coming. "So far, we have the upper hand. The Solarians are protecting Bloom, but we know how to make her come to us. This war will be over in less than a week." Stormy looked a bit confused, she put the lipstick in her bag. "But how will you make her come? And what about Faragonda and Saladin?" Icy's eyes shone with delight. "She will come to us, because we have the Winx in the dungeons. And we will choose a victim to throw out of the tower with broken wings. That is, what will happen to all of them if the princess does not show up. Stormy, will you do the honors?" Stormy returned the glare of madness. "Can I have Musa?" She could not stand the existence of the smug, self rightous fairy. She still remembered how she dared to mess up with her private incantations, and when she went after her, she had humiliated her. She wished to take her fathers life back then. She wanted to show the musical fairy that life is not composed of sweet melodies.

"Of course, she is not important. Just, we can't touch Stella now. We don't want the Solarians to lose control." Stormy nodded. Darcy knew that this was not all of the story. She saved the best for last. "But before that, we shall take care of Saladin, and erase the Company of Light from history forever." Darcy gasped, staring at her sister."You mean..." Icy smiled, with a proud look on her face. She especially wanted to be dramatic. She loved to brag. "Faragonda is no more." Stormy clapped in excitement. "That is major news! Congratulations, sister!" Icy was pleased with her reaction, but more so with Darcy's. She was jealous, again. "Did you defeat her by yourself?" She asked calmly, her eyes reflected a mixture of resentment and respect. Before she could answer, Valtor came in.

"Yes, Darcy, she did indeed." He was all dressed up formally, and had his maroon jacket on. He was wearing a crown with the symbols of the original coven and Shadow Phoenix on. Darcy drowned her jealousy. This was perfect. They were on the same team, and this meant the world belonged to them. "Are you all ready?" Icy nodded, and they left the room for the dining hall.

They felt hundreds of eyes on them, eyes filled with questions, admiration and desires. Darcy could sense the thoughts of the men in the room, all looking at her with lust. She felt euphoric from the attention. Stormy was pleased with the respect and admiration she was receiving, but the lustful looks made her a bit more uncomfortable, compared to her nymphomaniac sister.

"Ladies and gentleman, I present you the Coven of our generation, and all generations which will come after. They are chosen by the Ancestrals to rule in the name of the Shadow Phoenix. This is Stormy, she is the air elementalist, and therefore the Lady of the realms connected to that element." Several representatives of said realms stood up and saluted her. Valtor continued. "And she is Darcy, she posesses the very rare gift of mind control and illusion. She will be known as your Lady of Shadows." At that moment, Darcy's feelings for the word "shadow" changed forever. She never felt more comfortable with being anything else.

When Valtor was announcing Darcy's powers, Icy realized a movement in the crowd. An elegant lady with a dark green dress was whispering something to her partner. The woman seemed instantly worried about something. Icy noted this.

Valtor clapped once. "Now let us break our fast, then we shall reveal our plans considering what our next step will be." After those words, the hypnotized fairies and witches came to the dining room, asking the guests what they wanted to have. They served everyone silently, mechanically. They did not ask Icy and Valtor, since they had the same thing every morning. Their servants were Layla and Stella, as an humiliation for royal fairies. Valtor was having eggs with unsalted bacon, and black coffee. Icy went for pancakes and fruity jams. She is still a sweet tooth, Darcy thought. She ordered an omelette for herself, and observed the people at the tables.

Her eyes caught with a middle aged woman's.

She suddenly felt an headache. Looking at her had created an unpleasant sensation. "Icy, who is that?" Icy looked at the direction she was pointing. Her sixth sense felt an upcoming revelation. "She is from Magix, and a witch. I don't think she revealed her magic to us, but I can feel its nothing impressive. Why?" "No but, what is her name?" Valtor realized some nervousness in her. He answered "Her name is Lilith. Do you know her?" Darcy repressed a neurotic laughter. She took a sip from her tea. "Darcy, what is wrong?" Icy asked, already guessing the answer. Darcy collected herself quickly, and responded. "She may be… no, she is my mother." Stormy looked very surprised, Valtor a bit uneasy. Only Icy was calm. She sat back and observed her sister's reactions.

She knew how bitter she felt about her mother. She abandoned her to an abusive father, and did not even bother to give her a name. All Darcy knew about her was her name, and that she shared the same magic with this woman. "I guess I should introduce myself." Darcy spoke matter of factly, hinting at no emotion. Valtor had never paid puch attention to Lilith before, she had been keeping a low profile. But with the illusion magic, her profile and everything else may not have been so real. "I want no drama, Darcy." Valtor reminded her slowly.

After the breakfast, people left the tables and began chattering in small groups. Darcy and Icy approached Lilith and two others. The women stopped talking when they saw them coming, and looked nervous. Something must have been up, since they would not casually chat with anyone. "Are you ladies all fine?" Icy asked them politely, which made the women more curious about what was to come. "Of course, your majesty, just you for your concern." Lilith answered her, without looking directly in the eye. There had been a stupid rumor about her stare turning people to ice, and witches were superstitious. And Lilith was not well educated either.

Darcy stepped forward and smiled at the woman, but there was no joy in her eyes. She reached with invisible hands and connected to her mind. This woman was her mother. So careless and loveless, she left her child, seeing her as a burden. And she never, ever searched for her. If she had a mother, she would not suffer at the hands of a drunk bastard. She would not spend her childhood believing she was magicless.

Lilith could escape the ice blue eyes, but she could not hide from the golden ones. When she last saw those eyes, they were frightened. She remembered holding the tiny bruised thing in her arms.

She had felt disgusted.

Then the guilt had came. What kind of a woman, no, what kind of a living creature could despise their own flesh and blood? But she could not help it, she saw her as a burden, who will grow year by year, and consuming more and more of her. She would get old, while the little thing would grow, be a reflection of her young, beautiful self. So, she had left her. She continued her hunting for more lovers, just to break them in the end. This kind of life was a drug for her.

Now, she saw a beautiful young woman in front of her. She was taller than her, her hair was longer, shinier, healthier. Her body was flawless. Her breasts doubled her own. Lilith felt herself old and worthless, but this time she could not escape. She had no power on her anymore.

In fact, she was her Lady. She had to bow down before her.

"Hello, mother." Darcy grinned to her, still showing no emotion, which Icy knew was just an act. "Life is so strange, isn't it? I never thought I would ever see the woman who gave life to me. How are you? Are you married?" Her words were friendly, but Lilith could taste the poison. This girl was just like her. Only, she had not failed in life, like she did. "I am not… I…" Her friends were staring blankly. They did not know what to say. "I do have a partner, but he went over there…"

"Why did you leave me?"

That was it. It was over. She had to pay for her carelessness. She had betrayed her daughter. Now, she was at her mercy. "I am sorry." She faked her tears. She was not sorry, but frightened. She saw the Ice Queen getting tense. She despised such displays of emotion, especially at the court. But maybe, her daughter was different.

Darcy stood still for a minute. Maybe she has an explanation? Her father had told her disgusting stories about her. She believed most of them. She had no reason not to. She had deserted her daughter into darkness, a home of violence and abuse. Now, she had the power to do the same.

But her childhood belonged in the past. With another witch of illusions, they could … No. Darcy shuddered at the thought. She did not want another one with her power. She was the Lady of Shadows. She would not share it. Especially with someone like her.

Many people were watching them, also Valtor. Darcy looked at the man. He knew what she was thinking. He slowly nodded. Then she turned to Icy, who had been silent for so long. She would took initiative in this personal matter.

" _Throw her to dungeons."_


	14. Chapter 14

She is walking the misty gardens of Cloudtower at midnight.

They are not visible to an ordinary eye. One could enter such a garden with permission from the tower herself. Darcy is now alone inside the purples and greens, an image of a forest lives here, not the forest itself. Darcy has no problem with that. She delights more in illusion than reality.

Finally facing her mother had made her feel complete freedom from the boundaries of childhood. Tonight, for the first time, she felt whole. She had no parents. She was beyond such mortal concepts. Under the dark starry night, she sank deep into a delightful delusion. She was beyond them all. She never had moral boundaries, but now, with her coven and Valtor, her magic also knew no boundaries. She came across a lake, an image of a lake, and saw the reflection of a goddess which was herself. Her heart paced. She wanted something, someone. Anyone. She wanted to hunt.

She suddenly sensed heartbreak and misery. The sadness of a beautiful young man.

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The knife dropped from his hand. Tristan watched his dark red blood in motion, emerging from his wrist. _A beautiful place to die._ The nineteen year old closed his eyes and reflected on his short, miserable life. A poor street artist meets a woman with many faces. He follows beauty and passion. By mistake, he finds himself at an evil court, whose participants had no eyes to see beauty.

Unless a very twisted version of it.

When Lilith was taken to dungeons, he could only see loneliness and pain in his future. He had no place here. He felt like a lamb in a room full of lions. Such were the thoughts occupying him when his vision started to blur. He inhaled the scent of fake belladonnas in the fake garden. He was just about to surrender to the void. But he was found. A rare flower can't stay unnoticed, even in his last moments.

Healing magic sparkled in shades of purple on his wrist. Minutes later, he was completely unhurt, perfectly beautiful again. He opened his eyes to see the daughter of her love, with an expression of honest appreciation of beauty and fake concern.

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She hold her breath at the sight. It resembled a tragic painting. He had black hair and tanned skin, he was tall and lean. He had the saddest green eyes she ever saw in a male. He was taking his own life in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible. His blood looked black in moonlight. "Don't…" He was not allowed to die. She would not let him waste away. Not now, at least.

"Hi." She smiled seductively at the boy in her arms. She could sense him go speechless. "My lady." He panicked. Was he not allowed to commit suicide? Was he in trouble? He was unbelievably naive. "Don't be afraid, come with me instead. I am sweeter than death." He followed Darcy to her room like a puppet. Her chamber was airy, bohemian. The bed was undisturbed. He was going to be the first lover, first victim of the lady of darkness.

"Take off your clothes." The boy's mind was torn in two. One half was still in despair and longed for self destruction. The other half was aching to melt inside this woman. She undressed slowly, keeping eye and mind contact. Meanwhile, Tristan was anxiously undressing. Darcy reached for a bottle from her shelves. First, she inhaled it slowly. She then took a sip. Turning towards him, she pointed to her bra. He helped her out of it with nervous, shy hand movements. Darcy suddenly faced him and kissed him, passing the magical liquid to his mouth. Tristan forgot about death instantly. What he longed for did not matter. His lady was all that mattered. He shall serve her now and forever.

"You are so beautiful." The artistic soul could not bare such a pleasant sight. He let go of his tears. Darcy came closer to him and licked a tear from his cheek. She pushed him to bed.

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"Checkmate."

Icy declared with satisfaction, holding the white queen. Valtor's black pawns were scattered around, like soldiers fallen in battle. His black king had nowhere to go. Her moves had been so cleverly calculated, and Valtor could not read anything from her poker face. He finally relaxed his tense jaw and hands, and poured them another glass of whiskey. "I won. I get to kill the the old man." With a simple spell, she collected all the pieces and put them inside the chess box. She then sat back and placed her bare legs on the table, playing with her silver locks.

"How do you want to do it? Shall I serve him to you in a cage?" Valtor asked, taking a sip. It had been an intense game, and since he hated mental laziness, he was in a good mood from spending a productive night. Icy finished her drink at one shot, and her eyes sparkled. "I will appreciate that. In return, you can have his frozen brain. He relies too much on that organ of his." Valtor repressed a laughter, and reached for her legs to caress them. "Is this a conversation, or foreplay?" She took her legs off from the table, leaving Valtor empty handed. "I know what we will do! We will call for a feast, and serve the old man to his students!" She let go of an hysterical laughter. Valtor rarely got to see her drink, and when she did, the result was pleasantly maniacal. "Foreplay, that is."

The foreplay was cut short. Both were too eager to enjoy the diabolical harmony of fire and ice.

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Lady of Storms is resting on her red velvety bed.

She is waiting for the content to come. The satisfaction. It does not come.

Smoking in her red dress from earlier, she watches herself in the mirror. Her hair got all messy, and her makeup was also turning to a mess. But it did not matter, she had a lot of time to clean up. Since she had no intention of going to sleep. She could not go to sleep with the anticipation of violence. In the early morning, she was going to execute Musa, and Valtor would make sure the Red Fountain is observing, from their castle.

She imagined the root of her wings, and how they would bleed when she ripped them off. Adrenaline rushed to her blood, her heart paced. Maybe she would feel content after the murder. She would feel comfortable here, knowing that she was doing her part, serving both herself and her coven. But she still doubted that. Something was still bugging her, something from her past was begging to be released and transformed. She had an inkling of what that was. She slowly took her clothing off.

She still had the marks on her body, signs of violence and humiliation, from her two years at the brothel. All the violence she was showing to others did not undo what was done to her. It did not erase her hatred, the feeling of helplessness and worthlessness.

All those men, treated her like she was a piece of shit.

Now, everyone in this castle would give their legs to be with her.

She was not broken or traumatized. She was the cause of the traumas of others. She would not let the past take control of her.

She went to have a relaxing bath. Tomorrow, she would be reborn. Not as a mortal, as a hurricane.


	15. Chapter 15

The ice queen dreamed she was in Whisperia.

She inhaled death to her long rotten lungs. She would be forever attached to this planet, forsaken by life. Absence of life is not so terrible. It gives her the solid, eternal feeling she craves. She can delight in her own being, her own cold and desolate soul. Her talisman feels more powerful. It is at home. The lonely queen delights in her own power. Own success. She was so close. So close to fulfill her destiny.

She can't inhale the dead air anymore. Someone, something is choking her. A shadow from the recent past. Griffin. "Have you forgotten about me?" She whispers. "Have you forgotten my curse?" With a ghostly, disgusting finger, she touches her necklace. Icy feels a burn in her chest. "This won't protect you forever. I will win. I will destroy you, even from my grave." Out of breath, she tries to scream. She can't reach her vocal chords. Everything goes black.

When Valtor woke up in the middle of the night, Icy was not in the bed. With a feeling of unnatural worry, he called for her. There was no reply. He got out of bed, and walked inside their bathroom. Icy was standing in front of the mirror, her eyes were open with the blankest expression. She was not blinking. "Icy?" No answer. She just stood there like a ghost. Sleepwalker. Her talisman was not vibrating as powerful as before. Someone had interrupted it. Valtor knew.

He attempted to reach for her, to take her back to bed. He also thought about a spell to comfort her disturbed mind and protect her aura from the dead witch. Before he could touch her, he heard the piercing scream of his still unconscious wife. The mirror shattered to a hundred pieces, Valtor hold her just in time before she got a serious cut. "Icy, wake up!" He attempted to whisper a spell, but Icy pushed him back, making the man fall on his back. Valtor did not feel his bleeding back, from the little glass pieces. His focus was on her. What was going on with her? He knew who was causing it, but he did not figure out the whole nature of this curse. Belladonna's talisman was not enough to protect her. There was one way to purge her out of this. A very dangerous way. Valtor did not care. He would risk everything.

"I can't clean these hands of mine." Icy spoke, but she did not sound like herself. Not a bit. She started to move her hands, mechanically, as if washing them. "The smell of blood is still on them." This is more serious than I suspected, Valtor thought. If he does not take action immediately, his queen would lose her mind. His jaw got tense, he clinched his fists. He would bring the end of the world before letting her bring the end of herself.

He reached out and held her hands with a strong grip. She could not move them, so she panicked. Still sleeping, her eyes showed no emotion or awareness of what was going on. "Let go! I have to go to bed, to bed!"

"I will take you to bed. Our bed. Trust me." He took the still fighting woman in his arms, and carried her back to their room. Whispering an incantation, he placed her carefully to their bed. He then realized she was shivering, and sweating. He attempted to charge her talisman, but something was blocking his attempt.

He waited for the morning to come, without getting any sleep. He watched over her, in case of another delirious episode. Nothing happened. Icy slept till early morning. She woke up feeling completely drained, with no memory of what happened in the night. But she remembered her dream of being suffocated. "You said that you would find a cure to this." She said with a hint of resentment in her voice. She did not ask for details on what happened. She hated to think that she appeared weak or vulnerable to him. She wished she could kill Griffin twice.

"There is a way, for a witch to purge herself from a curse. Only a witch with a coven can succeed in this, and even then, it is not guaranteed."

"What is it?"

"The energy of Griffin can not be destroyed. It can only be transferred to someone else. We need to sacrifice someone. And, to get free of this curse, you need to die, Icy."

She waited for him to continue. There was only silence. "What?" She asked as calmly as possible. Her head was already hurting. She could not stand this nonsense. She needed clarity.

"This is the dangerous part. We will have to fool death. Your spirit will leave your body, but your body will still have life force in it. I will find the bond between your physical and spiritual body, and clean all the magic from Griffin that is stuck in there. Then you will return to your body. It sounds very simple, but you will see what it is like. You will need to be so careful Icy, because your soul can get lost in the afterlife, never to return." He waited for her to contemplate on this. Icy felt nauseated. "But how will my body have life force, after I leave it?"

"This is where you will need your coven sisters. You three are connected with a bond which transcends the material world. Once you form a coven, you are not just yourself. Your being grows into something more. You are never limited with your spirit only."

"And?" She was losing patience slowly. She knew the advantages of having a coven, but being a desolate soul, "not being only herself" was not always a pleasant thing to hear.

"You have to drink the blood of your coven sisters. This will give your body the spiritual energy it needs for a short time, without your spirit in it."

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Darcy laid two dresses on her bed, glancing at Tristan with an expectant look. "Both will look gorgeous on you."

"Well, you are just stating the obvious." One was a long black velvet dress, with lace details on the skirt. The other was a mini dress, dark green, and the material looked like leather. Mesmerized with the color, she wore the mini dress. The hypnotized lover forgot to breath for a second. "May I help you with your shoes?" She smiled with sympathy. He looked like an excited puppy, he was beautiful inside and out. She was planning to keep him around until she was bored. "You may do that. My shoes are over there." He practically jumbed towards that direction, searching for a pair of shoes which would complete his lady's look. He found golden stilettos. "These are the color of your eyes, and it would go perfectly with green."

"How lucky I am, I have an artist to help me get prepeared."

Upon the compliment, his eyes shone. Darcy sat on her bed, brushing her long hair. Tristan longed to caress it again, he had not seen anything looking so soft and attractive. In his eyes, she was more beautiful than the ice queen. But saying that might get him in trouble.

He helped her with the shoes. His fingers moved gently on her legs, then he kissed them. Before placing the shoes on, he also kissed her small feet.

"My sister will perform an execution today. You will not like it. It will be too grotesque a sight for your eyes." Tristan shivered. He would like to stay here, waiting for his lady, like a loyal pet. "You will find me when you come back."

"It is so good to hear." She replied, before leaving the room for the usual meeting area.

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Red Fountain's meeting hall could be seen from Valtor's crystal ball. With the non-agression spell put on them sneakily before, all Saladin and others could do was to helplessly watch as the innocent young fairy was sacrificed. Icy could see Bloom was also there, her eyes fixed with anger and hopelessness. Sky had his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her in vain.

"Bring forth Musa of Melody." Princess Galatea shrieked, covered her face with her hands. Hiding the shame of being unable to protect her own. Stormy appeared, and everyone cheered. They planned it to be dramatic, resembling a scene from a theather. Aesthetics were important in crime. Stormy was not wearing a dress, she was covered in dark red leather. Her hair was as wild as ever. She waited for Valtor to give a sign. Musa sat in the middle of the crowd, on her knees. She was in her fairy form. Valtor gave the sign.

Cheers from the crowd and curses from Red Fountain mixed together, when Stormy ripped Musa's wings with an animalistic force. Dark red blood spilled from the roots of the wings. Musa cried in pain. She was still enslaved. She did not attempt to escape. It was her master's order for her to be executed. (Musa, my lovely daughter.) The fairy heard a distant voice. Stormy now started the magical attacks. Electricity burned her arms and legs, and finally, her heart. (Fly to me, sweet heart, you will be free. I missed you.)

She suddenly stopped feeling pain. As the soul left the body, the mind freed itself. Musa heard the sweetest melody she could ever imagine. She felt like crying. From joy.

Her spirit floated. She saw her mother, waiting for her with open arms. Warm, lovely feelings covered her heart. She felt no anger for being killed. Such emotions had no place in the golden kingdom.

She followed the music, and the call of her mother.

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At dinner time, Darcy and Stormy noticed their sister was acting more distant than ever. Valtor was not at the table today, he was discussing matters with a group of lords. The three were alone in a table at the school, like the old days. "I have a new pet project." Darcy informed them casually, taking a bite from her steaming steak. Stormy was also having the same meal, with apple cider on the side. Her eyes caught with a red headed man from a nearby table, having the same drink. He boldly smiled to her, raising his glass meaningfully. Stormy did not smile back, but she was intrigued. But her attention quickly switched to Darcy. "How is he like?"

"As sweet as cherry pie. Nothing like Riven." Stormy made a face to that. "Sounds lame." Darcy took a sip from her hot white wine. "Well, he is quite a charmer and he worships me…" Icy took a bite from her toast. "I have to tell you something. Leave the boy talk for later." She explained to them what Valtor had told her earlier. When she told them about the blood ritual, Stormy felt a bit shocked. It was unpleasant, but there was something deeply satisying about the idea. They would keep Icy alive, while Valtor destroyed the curse once and for all. The hardest job belonged to Icy. She had to keep grounded in this world, and not get lost inside the purgatory.

Icy knew what Darcy was thinking. She knew the mind of her sister as well as hers. The idea of Icy sinking her teeth to her neck was simply not unpleasant to her. She even thought she might enjoy that. "Who will receive the curse, after it leaves you?" Darcy asked, trying hard not to awaken her repressed desires for her coven leader. "Saladin." Icy replied simply, in a dull voice. "Why do I feel like you are not happy about it?" Stormy asked with sincere curiosity. The curse would make Saladin go mad and commit suicide. This was the end Griffin had intended for Icy. She could avoid it with the help of Bella's talisman and her own will power and strength. "I wanted to kill Saladin myself, in a fair duel." Darcy grinned to that. "You are so greedy, sister, you already killed two of them! Why don't you prepeare for Bloom's downfall instead?" Icy grinned back, pleased with the changing subject. "Oh, I am prepeared, you can be sure of that." She took a sip from her water. "She will have a legendary ending. I will not tell you how."

"Don't kill me with wonder."

"I will."

Stormy watched her sisters chat, while feeling the eyes of the red headed still on her. It was starting to get to her nerves. "I will go and see what is up with that one." She left the table, and approached the one which was shared between four wizards. "Have we met before?" Red headed got up from his chair, and reached for her hand. Stormy did not protest, and it surprised her. He slowly kissed her hand. "My name is Ogron, I am the leader of the Black Circle."

"The fairy hunters? So you do exist?"

"Many have attempted to erase our existence from real life and make us a part of a legend. Someone even attempted to trap us in an hilarious book of legends. Valtor freed us, and gave us a place in this court. In which, I am blessed to meet you." His friends giggled among each other. "You know, I have ripped the wings of many fairies before. I have always imagined to do that with a beautiful witch beside me."

"You are too bold."

"Forgive me my lady, if I am out of line. I would love to get to know you better."

"We will see about that." Stormy instantly turned her back and walked towards her table, grinning to herself. Darcy eyed her with excitement. "What was that about? "

"Appaerantly, he likes me." She remarked casually, as if she found herself in this situation everyday. "Don't be shy. Invite him to your bed."

"I am not shy!" She ignored Darcy and poured herself another drink, while Icy and Darcy smirked at each other.

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She was not shy.

She did not want to make her scars visible. But she had made a promise to herself, and she intended to keep it.

She invited Ogron to her bed that night. He dared not to ask her how she got the scars on her body. When he got rid of his clothes, Stormy realized the redhead also had many scars on his body. She did not ask him, too.

For the first time in her life, she enjoyed the sensual pleasures of life without feeling shame or humiliation.


	16. Chapter 16

_Hi! If you had the patience to come this far in this story, thank you so much! Here begins the countdown from three; it is ending. I have always wanted to write my own ending for Winx Club, so we will see how it goes. If you are liking this story, please let me know in a review!_

The moon was not visible in the sky.

Performing a ritual at full moon had always been preferable, but in this case, the subject of the ritual was more in tune with the new moon energy. Icy was born in such a night, in the winter solstice, where the moonlight did not shine.

At midnight, Valtor and the Coven gathered together. Icy had been resting all day, both pyshically and mentally, for a challenging, dangerous ordeal. If she should fail, no one could save her soul. This time, not even Belladonna. Darcy and Stormy had been fasting since dawn. Their blood had to be in their healthiest form. They had spent the day silently, lying naked on crystals.

Valtor knew perfectly well the risks of this plan. He had never performed this ritual himself before, but since he was a little boy, he had witnessed the Ancient Coven perform it on many witches. He had witnessed what happened to those women who could not manage to return safely to their bodies. In a lucky day, their bodies would remain empty like a shell, and the destruction of it would usually come with fire.

Imagining Icy's body turning to ashes made his body go tense. He had to be so careful.

In the worst case scenario, the body could be possessed by some entity, leaving Icy forever outside. An ordinary demon would be easy for Valtor to get rid of, but an old, vengeful enemy could also seize this opportunity to come back to life in a young body. Apart from all of this, if Icy could not find her way back, she would be falling to a darker dimension, and she would be forever vulnerable to tortures of archaic malevolent spirits. She would suffer forever.

Valtor cut deeply through his hand with a knife, and stiffened with the pain. He started to chant slowly in the Whisperian tongue. He drew a pentagram on the floor with his blood, as the commander of the ritual. All four of them felt the air inside change. A low humming sound could be heard, as if they had unwanted guests. They were attracting the attension of spirits, who were similar to them in their darkness.

"Are you ready, Icy?" She nodded. She was eager to start and get rid of the old woman's curse, as well as Saladin, who would receive the curse right after it left her. All this was Valtor's work. She trusted that he knew what he was doing. What she had to do was to drink the blood and leave her body. Darcy took the knife and cut through the skin between her neck and shoulder. She sat beside her sister and offered her the blood. "How much should I drink?" Icy asked to Valtor, observing the small puddle of red on her sister's neck. "Not too little. You will know." Icy nodded, she first licked the iron tasting liquid slowy. She did not thought it tasted bad, but she thought of a warm poison, which she needed now for her mission. She sucked it more, and even used her teeth a bit. Seconds later, she let go. Darcy got up and gave her place to Stormy, who had already cut through her arm. Icy found Stormy's blood not as warm, but drinking it made her feel a restlessness inside, as if the blood suddenly found itself in a completely strange environment.

"Let us begin now. Icy, lie down please." Valtor arranged her pillows under her head and body, and he took off her heavy boots. She needed to be as comfortable as possible. She lied down, closing her eyes. Valtor began his chanting again, giving Icy a sign. She visualized her spirit leaving her body, and she managed to do that easily. She could still hear Valtor chanting, but his voice started to fade away. Leaving the physical world was very uncomfortable. Icy felt like she was falling freely into nowhere, she could hear low humming sounds. After some minutes of adjusting, she found herself in a new environment. She was not in Cloud Tower anymore. She had passed to the afterlife, where the spirits of the dead existed.

Valtor stopped the chanting, resting for a minute before starting the actual ritual for the curse. "She is gone." Darcy stated the obvious, staring at her sister's corpse. She looked like she was dead, and technically, she was for now. The silver rope that connected one's spirit and body was being controlled by Valtor, creating the illusion that there was no bond at all. Valtor started the cleansing spell. The sisters saw the dark energy field surrounding Icy. They also used their powers to save her from it. While Darcy and Stormy did the cleansing, Valtor was searching Saladin's mind with invisible hands. All was going well. They just hoped that Icy had not fallen too far away.

She opened her eyes and found herself in a maze.

The overall atmosphere of the place had no sign of life, but she felt that she was not alone. This place was crowded, and she did not want to know anything about it. She would just stand still until Valtor called her back. But she could not help wandering around. Something was attracting her. She did not see ahead of her clearly because of the mist, but she instantly stopped. Someone was there.

"Look what we have here. It looks delicious." Icy turned to face the source of the raspy, ugly voice. She first saw a small, dark silhouette. Then, a winged creature with furry body and red eyes appeared, the thing had an almost lustful look in its face which made Icy shudder with disgust. _A bodiless creature, parasytical demon._ It had mini versions as well, but they did not talk. It was as if the demon was the mother of a dozen mindless ugly creature.

"Can I lick you, sweet girl?" In a split second, the bird-demon jumped to her shoulder, and Icy pushed it down, with a little scream. "Get lost."

"Don't get mad, you will spend an eternity with me after all. You might as well make some friends, right?" Icy felt herself nauseated. Why was Valtor not done yet? "Are you ready to find your way in the maze?"

"What?"

"I am the guide of this maze. You see the box over there? It contains an infinite number of keys, each for the infinite number of doors in this maze. Every person is destined to spend the eternity behind one of those doors. But you can have two keys with you, in case you open the wrong one. Everybody makes mistakes, am I right?" Demon smiled nastily at the last sentence, pointing at the said box, which looked like an endless pit. Icy had to play dead, so she had to go with whatever this nonsense was. She trusted Valtor to bring her back safely whatever happens.

She took two random keys. One was silver and a bit rusty, something about it gave a sense of familiarity to Icy. The other one was black, and she felt the iron key was charged with a powerful magic. "What now?" She asked, but the demon had dissappeared. She walked straight, then left, then right. Everything looked the same. Only then, she saw five doors at the distance, but she was only looking at one of them. The grey door of the small brown house. The door of her home in Whisperia. She then realized why the key was so familiar. With growing curiosity, she approached the door. She opened it, but could not step in.

There was no apocalypse behind the door. It was Whisperia in its golden age, long before Icy was born. She could see the beautiful gothic city with soft rainy weather, witches and warlocks dressed according to the fashion of those times crowded the streets. There was an invisible barrier which kept Icy outside, which made it clear that she opened the wrong door. She was about to close the door, but she saw a woman approaching. She wore an elegant blue dress and had an umbrella, her face still had the melancholy which Icy remembered she always had. Her mother.

"Why did you kill my daughter?"

She wanted to shut the door and leave. She knew where this conversation was going.

"Electra? Mom?" The woman looked at her with resentment. "I am in heaven. But I miss my daughter. I will never see her again."

"Why are you resenting me?" Icy asked to the woman at the other side of the door, unable to reach her or touch her. Electra lost her calm.

"Don't you understand? You were meant to die, Winter! You were meant to die that night, so we could be together! But you sold your soul to the devil, in exchange for power. My daughter died on that snowy field that night, and you, you destroyed her soul!"

Icy shut the door.

Valtor's incantation was going smoothly. The cleansing was done, now all three was getting ready to attack Saladin from behind. Darcy and Stormy were holding Icy's lifeless hands.

Icy threw the silver key away. It did not make a sound when it hit the ground, since it hit nowhere. Icy hold on to the black key, charged with magic. This had to be the right one. She continued to walk without a direction. She past by many doors, none of them intrigued her. Then she saw the black door. It was old looking and rusty, and when Icy came closer she realized it was also very hot. Despite the feeling inside, her hands moved towards the door and opened it.

She could easily step inside this time. Ahead of her was a great wasteland, smell of smoke and ashes filled her lungs. It was like a whole new planet with grey sky, destroyed buildings and iron waste. A different kind of apocalypse.

A black rain started.

Then she saw them.

The victims of the War in Magix. Fairies, witches and specialists, all of them as young as she, their killer. There had to be sixty of them, but Icy felt like there were more spirits in here, and she did not recognize most of the faces. The ones died in war had chains over them, but it seemed self inflicted. As if they were the ones who kept themselves here, not anyone else. Some souls were not chained, and they looked almost transparant. Icy did not recognize those. But she knew. Not only the dead existed here, but also those who were not born yet. And those souls would never be born, because she had murdered their parents.

"She is here! We are free!" _Run._ Despite the voice of her survival instinct, her legs felt too heavy to move. She only stared at those faces. Their eyes were fixed on Icy, filled with both anger and hate, but also excitement. "We were all waiting for you! We could not go to heaven till we dealt with you first!" Then she attempted to use her magic, to make them stand still. She then discovered the black rain draining her too much to cast a spell. "Don't use your cursed magic."A fairy instantly held her arms, while another one held her legs. She cursed them and fought back, but her limbs felt too heavy still. She realized that, if she were actually dead, this was the destiny awaited her. _But it could be so even now if I can't go back._

Fairies dropped her harshly to a pit, but Icy observed what it really was. It was a tomb. She could see skeletons with insects invading them, broken fairy wings which looked like they were made of smoke and bone. The smell of acid burned her throat,she opened her mouth but could not speak. Her victims and their unborn children now had an almost gleeful expression. Just then Icy heard Valtor's voice in her head. _It is done. Come back, we will help you._ She felt the calling of Valtor and her sisters, and their magic, helping her to float black to the physical world. To her dismay, she realized she can not move.

Valtor stood motionless for almost three minutes. His expression was slowly becoming stern, then almost anxious. Stormy broke the silence. "What happened? Why isn't she coming back?"

"Be quiet." His tone made the two women shiver, with a growing sensation of fear.

Darcy was fixated on Icy, biting her lip nervously.

"I can't reach her." Valtor spoke so slowly that they almost could not hear him. Darcy looked at her sister's motionless body. She was already pale, but she looked even whiter now, and her lips did not have its usual pinkness, they were growing purple. She could not bare this sight. "What do you mean, you can't reach her? Valtor, do something!" Her voice had lost her calm, and Stormy attempted to warn her for that. But it was too late. Valtor turned to her instantly with fiery eyes, anger and despair radiating from his reddened aura. "I said, BE QUİET." With an uncontrolled rage, he casted a fire ball towards her, making the woman gasp in pain and shock. She was slightly hurt, but kept quiet. She knew what this meant. Valtor's behaviour made it clear that Icy was in grave danger. _Could she be gone?_

In the dead silence of the room, Valtor heard Icy's voice in his mind. Calling for help.

They have chained her inside the tomb. The seriousness of this situation was just dawning on her. She could hear Valtor's call, but could not answer it. Did he know what to do now? "Not so confident now, are you?" A young man towered over her, with a mocking expression. "When you destroyed our campus with the stolen dragon fire, I was burned alive. Of course you did not recognize something as insignificant as that, did you, your highness? Since the day I died, I have been dreaming to do the same to you."

"Damn you!" Icy attempted to kick him, but she was restrained. She realized he actually had a phantom fire in his hands. Everything was possible here. The fire could not kill her spirit, which made the idea even more frightening.

"Leave her alone."

 _Valtor?_ But how?

No. Not him. He can not be here.

Icy observed the crowd, and their unborn children, glare at someone. One of them looked extremely furious. "Get that bastard out of here!"

"Come, get me."

Icy saw who was talking, he was one of the transparant, one of the unborn. She had never thought about a man more glorious than Valtor, but the sight of this young man almost hypnotized her. She sensed something so strong, some form of attraction, but not of the erotic kind. This was something completely new to her. The young man's eyes connected with hers. He had the same blue eyes as Valtor and she, and she also recognized the expression. He stood there alone, in front of a crowd which appearantly despised him. He was really tall, healthy and strong, his long hair was blonde, lighter than Valtor's but not as white as Icy's.

She instantly knew. This would be her son.

She felt much stronger all of a sudden. She had to live. She had to go back and give life to him. The sight of him left her speechless. She had never admired anyone quite like this. When he continued to speak, her sense of familiarity increased. She wanted to ask him his name, but then she thought he might want to ask that to her instead.

Her son turned towards the furious one, and spoke calmy but menacingly. "It is a pity one can not die twice, but I can make you feel worse than death." Before he continued, he turned his face to Icy, and slightly smiled to her. "For, I am the son of ice and fire."

She broke free of the chains. She could not explain how she did it. But nothing, no one, dead or alive, could erase the existence of this unborn man. She would not let that happen.

"I knew you could do that. I look forward for you to bring me to the world, mother."

This was the last thing she heard before starting to float back to Cloud Tower.

Meanwhile in Cloud Tower, Valtor was holding his wife's lifeless hands, while whispering in a fast pace. He was not blinking, not even once, and with one hand he was caressing the snow white hair.

Darcy and Stormy waited at the other side of the room, they could not bear seeing Icy like that. Stormy was playing with her hair in a mechanical movement, her eyes fixed at the wall. Darcy was whispering an incantation of her own, one of those she used to connect to Icy's mind. She instantly felt like catching a thought from her, but it was so unexpected for the moment that she doubted its true. It felt like she was proud of someone. Why would she be proud of someone right now, in a moment so critical?

Icy opened her eyes so suddenly that Valtor gasped. Darcy and Stormy literally flew to the other side of the room.

"Ice, what took you so long?" Darcy said in a relieved tone, sitting beside her in bed. Valtor's nerves relaxed seeing Icy return without a complication. Stormy handed her a cup of cold water. "Here, it will relax you. We were worried sick."

Icy took the cup, she looked at Valtor. "Is it done?" It took him a second to realize what she was asking. He nodded. "It all went smoothly. We will hear the good news from Red Fountain soon."

"Perfect."

Icy looked to Darcy in a meaningful way, and she took the hint. She and Stormy left the room.

"You look so drained, come over here." She pulled the man towards the bed beside her. Her fingers tapped her lightly on the shoulders, helping him relax. She then helped him out of his coat. Valtor grapped her from below her breasts and placed her comfortably on him. As he helped her out of her clothes, he spoke in a whispery voice. "For the briefest moment, Icy, I thought I had lost you."

"Yeah? What was it like?"

"I would rather spend an eternity in ice than to feel that again."

She turned his face back towards him and their lips met in a passionate kiss. When Icy finally let go, Valtor saw something in her eyes, something he could not recognize. "I saw our son, Valtor." His eyes widened upon her words, his hand movement stopped. After a minute, his lips curved to the most encouraging smile. He replied with another kiss, followed by a quick movement which resulted in Valtor getting on top of her instantly.

"We have one last enemy to defeat."

"Mhm, saved the best for last. Why are we always talking about war during sex?"

She smiled deviantly as she recognized the look of desire in his eyes.

He delighted in her alive presence in the room, the woman who would bear his heir. A son, she had said. He had another reason to win this war now. He could not fail.

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Darcy and Stormy were at the office, relaxing. Darcy sat on the desk, playing with the crystal ball. Stormy lied on her stomach on the sofa, texting. Darcy realized her chuckling, and jumped right off the desk.

"Come on, spill."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Stormy answered while looking at the phone, trying to repress a laughter.

"I know you had sex."

"Is that so?"

Darcy grinned to that, and before she could say something, the crystal ball caught her eye. Something was up at Red Fountain. Stormy got on her feet, dropped her phone. They closely inspected the crystal ball. Upon the request, it showed the inside of the building. They saw Saladin lying in the hall, people gathering around him. Appaerantly, the old man had put a sword through himself in a delirious episode. Darcy and Stormy smirked at each other, then they clapped. "This is so epic, I can't get over it!" Stormy thought out loud. "Let's tell them now!"

"Uhm, they are probably busy. I suggest we wait."

Stormy made herself sit again, restlessly. Darcy looked through the windows, the moon was slowly moving into Aquarian. She predicted the war will be over before the next full moon.


	17. Chapter 17

Red Fountain is fast asleep. Only one soul lies awake.

Three days had past since Lord Saladin was murdered in the most sneaky, dishonorable way. With him being gone, the school felt even more unsafe than before. Heroic students have attempted to gather for a visit to Cloud Tower, but their elders knew that would be a suicide mission. Their only hope was one person.

Bloom lies awake inside the bed she shares with Sky. She had told him, that tomorrow they would set out to destroy Valtor. Sky would never let her go alone. There was a small possibility of Bloom being able to protect him, and he was counting on that. No one would keep him safe inside a castle while his love fought for her life.

But that was what would happen. Bloom had no intention to risk his life. She was going to leave during the night, while he slept soundly. She knew that no one was sleeping at Cloud Tower. They were waiting for her, of course. He was waiting for her. The Company of Light was gone. There was no one left strong enough to protect her. Feeling the soft blanket on her bare skin, Bloom dreaded the thought of leaving this safety behind her forever. She touched Marion's talisman, the golden dragon was charged with power and it felt intensely hot. She was strong enough to kill Valtor. He was strong enough to kill her. It had to be a one on one duel, and they had to go somewhere desolate. Because while they were destroying each other, the destructive magic would burn so wildly that it would destroy everything in its path.

Bloom knew where Valtor would like to fight. It was the place where she would like to kill him. The place where it all started. Cradle of the Flame, Domino.

Her thoughts wandered to Icy, who had almost killed her in their last duel. Thinking about the ice witch instantly made her wings appear. She was ready. But why, she thought, even when I dream about destroying Valtor, my thoughts wander to her? As if Valtor was just a means to an end, to break the spirit of the ice witch. The two had signed in an ancient contract to bound themselves together, it was almost like the bond of a coven. It was in her hands to break that bond.

She looked at her prince one last time. Then she started to fly.

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He stood alone in his office, lighted by the crystal ball's purple light only. The curtains were down, despite it being midnight. Valtor remembered Oritel and Marion, and the fateful day of their destruction.

The golden whiskey burned his throat, and he slightly smiled, remembering the day he had fooled Bloom into thinking he had her parents trapped inside him. Poor child, he thought. How naive she was. The same naivety was causing her to believe that this was going to be a fair fight. She believed they counted on simple chance, or maybe it was their arrogance. He smiled, knowing where Icy was and what she was getting prepeared for.

He instantly felt his magical essence responding to a familiar force. Dragon fire was approaching. The familiar adrenaline rose inside him. Just like seventeen years before, in the same place, against the same royal blood. He was ready. The windows shattered, and another light source flew in. The fairy did not carry a light but her body was shining in a bright orange spark, radiating the flame in its fullest potential. When she landed, she gathered herself quickly and faced her mortal enemy. "You could have walked in from the front door." Valtor slightly smiled, baring his teeth.

"Take us to Domino, Valtor."

"I see no reason for hurrying, Bloom. I have told you that we will fight whenever I want." He took a sip from his glass, while Bloom stared at the man with an escalating anger. "Where are the fairies you took as prisoners?"

"All alive, almost. My condolences for the musical one."

 _She had a name, you bastard._ She bit her lip, trying not to let the anger consume her. She had to save all that energy for the fight. Valtor was trying to break her courage, just like Icy had done. But he could not get under her skin like the witch could. "I will get that circus freak for that. I will save your precious wife for last."

Valtor grinned to her, but Bloom noticed a spark of annoyance in his eyes. Was she getting to him? "I would prefer to turn you to ashes and keep them in a golden box, just like your mother, but my precious wife has other plans, I am afraid." He waited, for the blow to hit.

"What did you just say?" She had wanted to sound stronger, but the unexpected emotional attack had made her nauseaus. "Oh, so Faragonda did not tell you?" Valtor smiled nastily, then he came closer to the shivering fairy and pointed at her necklace. "She gave you her talisman out of the very box her ashes were lying. After Belladonna had murdered her, I burned the precious queen to the ground. And wanted to keep her, you can't waste a memory so glorious, can you?"

 _There will be no tears in my eyes. Only fire._

She opened the gate to Domino herself. She pushed the man through it so easily as if he was a child. Then she flew towards her long forgotten home planet.

The royal palace could not be seen from here. All around them was eternal winter, not a living creature, not even a dead plant to be seen. There were stones covered in ice, and sharp rocks. The moon could be seen in the night sky; Whisperia. She eyed the distant, small planet with frustration. The place where all evil started.

She made the first move, and Valtor avoided the attack. Her charged fire hit a rock and broke in into a thousand pieces. It is on, she thought. I either win, or I win.

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-The Heart of Cloud Tower-

Icy touched the thick barrier hiding the heart, while her sisters stood beside her.

"Why are we here?" Stormy asked, inspecting the black box called the heart. What was inside it? Was it really a heart, or was it a metaphor? She had the feeling that Icy knew the answer. Her leader was also excited, but there was no anxiousness. This was the excitement she had when she was about to make a revelation.

Despite Icy's comforting confidence, Darcy seemed anxious. She was playing with her brown locks, as she always did whenever something was uncertain. "They left for Domino. Icy, what if he loses?"

"He won't." She was almost caressing the black box now, whispering an incantation towards it.

"How are you so sure?"

"Be quiet."

Icy's eyes were closed now. Her whispering turned to soft speaking. A minute later, they saw the thick walls surrounding the heart melt away. It stood naked, before their very eyes. Darcy and Stormy gasped, realizing what they were looking at.

It was a heart, indeed. Literally.

"Do you know the history of Cloud Tower?" Icy asked, suddenly acting like a professor. This was a way to make the revelation more exciting. "Belladonna and her sisters built it." Darcy answered, in a tone of a modest student. "And they created a heart for it, so it would stay alive for eternity. So that, it would never lose its magic."

"Yes, but how was the heart created?" Icy asked, putting her hand on the pounding, red flesh. It was a grotesque sight, the heart was bigger than human's heart. But it was flesh and blood all the same. One could not create it out of nowhere. Icy continued. "Seven witches. You are looking at the hearts of those witches who were sacrificed. Stick together, bound forever by magic."

The sisters gasped again, not knowing what to say. "That is incredible." Stormy said in an impressed tone.

"What does it have to do with anything?" Darcy questioned, her mind was still occupied with the fight going on as they spoke.

"This is the reason why Bloom will never kill Valtor. What I am capable to do with this heart."

-Domino-

"Is that it? Come on, show me what you got!"

Valtor teased the fairy, who still has not showed signs of fatigue. She was trying to keep her control over her magic. Valtor intended to push her over the edge.

"Do it for Oritel! He was screaming your mother's name when I killed him!"

A flame escaped her heart with a cry, it directly hit Valtor in the chest. He grinned with satisfaction. "Do it for Marion, and her lovely ashes!"

 _What kind of a fighting startegy is that?_ Bloom had no time for thinking, she hit him again and again in an escalating speed. Anger would only make her stronger and Valtor knew that. Did he have a death wish?

She stopped.

"What are you playing at, Valtor?" She eyed him with suspicion.

"I am enjoying our final fight, little princess, I especially like it when its brutal."

Upon those words, he jumped towards her and caught her from the wings, pinning her to a rock. He had moved so fast that Bloom did not find time to scream. "Do you know what will happen when I finally kill you? I will take your prince a prisoner, and I will hand her to Icy to kill slowly." She screamed with another blow, but Valtor realized her anger slowly starting to drain her. She managed to let go of his grasp. "You will be the symbol of failure through generations. The last princess of Domino, the last one who failed."

"I will be the one who destroyed the abomination of a wizard. In fact, I…"

Her sentence broke with a blow to her face. She recovered quickly, slightly smiling to the wizard. "I will make a special box for your wife, for her talisman, and her very own ashes."

"You won't be destroying anyone, little princess. Unless you are ready to face the consequences."

The tone in his voice made her hesitate. Her hands were on fire, but she kept them still.

"What are you saying? Is that a new ridiculous lie?"

She was referring to the trapping parents in body lie. That had been ridiculous, indeed. Valtor smiled.

"What do you think Icy is doing right now? Do you think she is sitting at home, waiting for her man to return from battle? Is she praying for me?"

Bloom fixed her eyes on the man, waiting for him to continue. For some reason, she felt something was very odd. She could easily kill him. Would Icy really risk that? She landed on the ground, and rested her back on a rock, giving the signs that she would not attack until he explained everything. Seeing her ready to listen, Valtor approached the fairy with a smug grin on his face. She was unsure. It was written on her face.

"Do you really believe, after all this time, Bloom, that Icy is not in control of everything?"

-The Heart of Cloud Tower-

"Can you spill the beans? Like, right now?" Stormy asked impatiently.

Icy smiled to her, then she placed both hands on the Heart and closed her eyes. Her talisman shined in a silver light. The sisters noticed a whiteness on the red flesh. Darcy's eyes widened with shock. "I felt the tower suffering." She had said this more to herself, and then she raised her voice. "Stop, Icy, you are killing it!"

Icy stopped, pleased by the reaction she received.

"Is that why Bloom will spare him? To protect the tower? Why would she care?" Stormy asked her.

"You are not thinking big enough, my dear. Not the tower. Not _only_ the tower."

There was no reply. They had understood. But they still could not believe.

"Do you think I am Belladonna's heir for nothing? Was losing ever an option for me?"

She waited for the words to sink in. They could think that this was a bluff. That they would count on Bloom's unwillingness to risk anyone's life. But they felt it was true. It was not a bluff.

She was the only soul who could destroy life itself. The soul of winter; silent, solitary, gloomy. She could turn Magix into a dead planet.

-Domino-

"She will turn the whole planet into a coffin of ice. You would know that, it had always been her favorite spell."

She started to feel the cold for the first time since they have come to Domino.

"That can not be." Bloom started, slowly shaking her head. "That is madness."

Valtor grinned to that. "Do you doubt her?"

Bloom realized in horror how completely drained she was. She had been wasting her magic on Valtor, pushing herself harder than ever. With the new sense of dread rising inside her, she realized she did not feel as strong.

Valtor tore off her talisman from her neck.

The dragon fell on the hard ice, and shattered to pieces.

The fairy fell on her knees in despair.


	18. Chapter 18

Icy felt it happening. She heard Valtor in her mind. It was over.

Almost.

"So, does that mean… It is all over?" Darcy broke the silence. Her nervousness was gone. She now had the anticipation of their certain victory, thanks to the brilliant strategies of their coven leader. Icy put her hand on her shoulder, slightly smiling with shining eyes. "It will be, once we deal with Bloom. Now come on, we are leaving for Domino."

….

Hot tears burned her cheeks. She could not stop the shivering, not from the cold, but the devastating feeling of failure. Valtor was watching her meltdown with a satisfied look on his face. She could not dream of anyone more despicable than him right now.

Until she heard her voice.

"Looks like somebody has given up." She struggled to get up on her feet. She could not let her delight in her defeat, even though she had lost the battle. She saw Darcy observing her, as if expecting a sudden revival and an explosion of power. But there was none. The fairy's flame seemed to be extinguished by despair. Stormy literally jumped with excitement. "Icy, can we have our fun before you kill her?" The ice witch smirked at her, while slowly shaking her head. "No one will lay hands on her."

After these words, she kneeled beside the surrendered fairy, forcing her to an eye contact by taking her face in her hands. The skin of her magical opposite felt unnaturally cold. She did not fight back. She just stared back for seconds. Icy finally spoke. "Do you remember the night we first met?" Bloom's mind drifted back to three years ago, when she found herself in front of her in a dark alley. She had trapped Bloom in ice for the first time that night, it had been her luck that her friends had shown up. She tried to nod, but felt too numb to even do that. "I will make a beautiful ice coffin for you. Fairies don't last long in ice, but you will be an exception. In fact…" She looked at Valtor with a meaningful expression. His lips curled, sensing what she intended to do. "You will be awake inside your coffin for seventeen years, no more, no less. Then the ice will finally show the mercy of killing you."

Bloom wanted to scream in anger and desperation, but that would only excite her murderer more. She was that now, her killer. Ice would be her grave. That was tragically ironic. Worse, she would be awake in cursed ice for years. She wondered what she had done to deserve that. With her last remaining strength, she spoke her final words. "I hope your end will come by fire." She glanced at Valtor, then looked back at Icy, to find her smiling. "You are still clinging to hopes and dreams, even now? That is so sweet, yet futile." Crystals started to form in her hands. She took a final glance at Bloom, the familiar spark of madness returned to her eyes as she released her power in full capacity. "Farewell, my favorite fairy!"

The result was breathtaking. Darcy and Stormy gasped at the sight of the most glorious ice coffin their sister ever made. It was literally shaped like the coffins of royalty, with sharp edges and smooth surface. It was like glass, they could see Bloom lying inside, with open eyes. Failure was written on her face.

Failure.

It took Icy a couple of seconds to adjust. No one said a word, they were expecting a reaction from her. A speech for her sisters, while Valtor watched and admired her. She had done that before. After achieving something. But no words came to her now, this was not a simple achievement. She had done it. She had finished what the coven had started. If her life started the night she met Belladonna, this was the turning point. Her climax. She had felt very close to this when she had obtained the dragon fire. After that failed, she knew her time would come again. She never once believed she was meant to fail. She was meant for this. This perfect moment, all along.

She tried to supress the laughter. After a moment, she let go. Her sisters were not surprised, but they checked the reaction of Valtor to this sudden explosion. He was smiling.

She laughed like a lunatic, and it echoed through the ice and lonely rocks around. No one had felt this much alive at a dead planet. She felt a sensation on her fingers, and she slowly became silent. Something was materializing in her hands. Everyone observed. Icy heard Belladonna's voice in her mind. Her raspy, low voice was frightening for everyone else, but it felt musical to her. "I knew that I have chosen the right one as my heir. Look at the frightened little girl I saved from death, look at what she has become."

In her hands, she held the crown of Belladonna. Made of dark purple ice, her signature color. They watched as its color slowly turned dark blue. It belonged to Icy now. Her reign had just started. Valtor came closer to her, and touched her shoulders. "May I?" He took the crown from her hands and placed it carefully on her head. Her lips curled in delight. Valtor instantly craved for those pale lips, and despite their company, he kissed her like they were alone in the planet. Stormy smirked at her sister, Darcy cleared her throat to get some attention. She could not stop herself from grinning either. "I am sorry to interrupt, but we are kind of freezing to death."

The couple separated. The thrill in Icy's voice as she spoke reminded Darcy of the days they had the dragon fire. It was more solid this time, more confident. Bloom could not come back out of nowhere this time. "I pretty much want everyone to freeze to death, but not my dear Darcy… Let's go back, shall we?" Darcy was glad her sense of humor was back after months of drama and anxiety. She really was in a good mood.

Valtor opened the portal back to Magix. A minute later, they were back at the office at Cloud Tower. "We are calling for an instant meeting, right?" Stormy asked, impatiantly. Valtor had been observing the door, then he answered. But not to Stormy. "Come in now my friend, we are back." The door opened and Ogron stepped inside, his three brothers were waiting behind him. "Forgive me, I have been so eager to learn the result of the battle. I see it in your faces that we have won. Should I bring your throne from the coven's lair, your majesty?" Valtor smiled at the red headed man, and he put his hand on Stormy's shoulder, who seemed thrilled at the sight of him. He also felt Icy get tense when he mentioned the throne. _One_ throne."You two are the perfect match. Go and tell everyone we will meet at the dining hall. Be as dramatic as possible." Then he said something else in Ogron's ear, which made Icy alert. Ogron nodded and left."What did you tell him?" Icy asked Valtor in a neutral voice, but she did not enjoy the secrecy. Valtor slightly grinned. "I told him to go and bring the present I have made for you."

"We will go and get dressed now with Stormy." Darcy said in a hurry and she and Stormy left the room. The king and queen of Magix were finally left alone. Valtor pointed to his crystal ball which he used to let their enemies know of his deeds, if he wished to. "I showed them, Icy. Everyone knows what you did to her."

"Not everyone yet. When will you free the fairies from your mark? I will let Stella know myself."

"Of course you will..." Just when Valtor was reaching to caress Icy's hair, they heard a signal from the crystal ball. Someone was trying to communicate. Valtor allowed them to have access, and they saw holograms of King Radius and Queen Luna in the room. They were grief stricken, worried, and most of all, surrendered. Icy immediately straightened her posture, and had the relentless, ice cold expression in her face. _They should be terrified of you._ King Radius cleared her throat. Shame was written on his face as he spoke. "Solaria belongs to you. We beg of you to spare our people, and…" He could not continue. Icy was nearly sure the proud king of the Sun would end his life very soon. Luna started, the Moon queen's voice trembled as she spoke. "Please give Stella back to us. She is my only daughter… As our promise of surrender, we give you the full control of our armies."

"We don't need your little army. I am sure you will be loyal to us, unless you want the Three Suns of Solaria go totally dark." Icy spoke directly to Luna, checking her reaction. What she suggested was an astronomical event, it would require a dark magic which would mess with the Stars themselves. Icy could not do that, yet. But what was important was that Luna believed that she could. Her face had went as pale as the moon. Icy smiled to her, but it did not give a warm expression to her face. It made Luna shrug. Icy was more than pleased with her current reputation. She looked at Valtor, just to show them it was both of their decision. "We will release Stella to you, whenever we see fit. Meanwhile, you will run errands for us, and tell every other realm in the Magical Dimsension what is going on." Radius was silent, but Luna spoke for him, nodding restlessly. "We will, we will…"

The holograms disappeared. "The other realms will also surrender in no time. One by one, they will all belong to us." Icy took off the jacket she was wearing, and wrapped her bare arms around his neck. She rested her head on his chest. "Don't stop talking."

"We should get prepeared." Valtor replied in a low voice, could not resisting to kiss her neck in the meanwhile. Her scent was like snow. He had to pull himself together or they would have no energy left for the ceremony. "Icy, I am serious." She smiled teasingly while turning towards the door to leave. "Fine, it is your loss after all."

The three sisters were getting prepeared together in their coven room. Dresses and shoes were scattered around, and most of them belonged to Darcy. "I have nothing to wear." Lady of darkness whined, receiving a suspicious look from Stormy. "It sure looks like that, wiatch." Darcy let out an exhausted sigh. Icy pointed to a little black dress. "Wear that, its a killer."

"Listen to her." Stormy had already chosen a maroon silk dress, and was busy with trying to get her hair in shape.

"Solaria has surrendered." Icy informed them, while checking the soft fabric of her silver dress. "That is exciting!" Stormy pointed out.

"I promised Luna to give her daughter back." She sighed as if exhausted, but Darcy caught a diabolical light in her eye. "Will you? I think those fairies should be dead, as warnings to their realms." Darcy almost looked disappointed, but Icy smiled at her. "I will keep my promise to the poor woman. A queen should be like that." She waited for a couple of seconds, then laughed. "I will give them her dead body, that is." Now her sisters sighed, Stormy rolled her eyes. "For a second I thought that crown did something to you."

"I will play the same trick to the Andros royalty as well. "

"Sister, you are terrible." Darcy had worn the black mini dress, and she was applying some golden liquid to her legs to make them look shiny. Her eyes darkened as she remembered something. "And we will destroy Flora for the cursed forest." Stormy nodded. Icy had finished dressing up, and she checked herself in the mirror. _Perfect._

The sisters left the room in unison. Darcy and Stormy entered the lounge first to put everyone in line for the ceremony. When Icy and Valtor entered, the room fell completely silent. Icy did not recognize the people, she was enchanted by the _two_ thrones across the lounge. One was familiar to her, it was the throne of the king from the dark prophecy, belonged to Valtor and made from iron and flame. But just next to it stood another one, it looked like it was made of glass. She also realized an optical illusion which made it look like it was snowing on the throne. It was breathtaking. "Is that…?" Icy whispered to Valtor, as they slowly marched. "Belladonna's? Hell no, do you think I will let you sit on a second handed throne? I made it for you." Icy couldn't answer that, they have arrived. Before they sat, Valtor commenced. "Welcome back my friends, to our final meeting at Cloud Tower. I am proud to announce the death of the Princess of Domino. We have also received a surrender from Solaria. This war is officially over, and we have won."

The crowd cheered. Slow chattering were beginning, but Valtor raised his hand. He looked at Icy. She stepped forward. "Today is the beginning for the Witch kind and their loyal allies to achieve the greatness they deserve. You will all make a blood oath to swear you loyalty to me and my coven. " The crowd cheered only for her this time. "Hail to the queen! To the king!"

People started to bow down, one by one.

Their reign had officially started.

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It was almost midnight. Stormy was out in the terrace, smoking. It was raining softly, the wind was gentle. As she exhaled the smoke, the wind became more agressive. She commanded a lightning. It happened.

She wondered with restlessness, what our next step would be. She thrived in a constant state of battle, of challenge. Would her life become static and boring? Defeating an enemy was satisfying, but destroying all of them would lead to what? There had to be more wars in her future. She could not survive without violence.

And she knew that Icy would not be satisfied with what she had now. In this endless universe, there would always be more power to achieve for her.

That meant more enemies for Stormy, more people to acknowledge her existence and see her important enough to hate. She reached for another cigaratte, and she sensed a presence in the terrace. Light footsteps approaching her from behind. Before she could turn to face the mystery person, strong arms were wrapped around her waist. _Ogron._ "Mind if I join?" He asked in a playful tone, which Stormy found unbearable in most boys. But not with this man. "Not if you are going to bore me further." _Please stay with me._ Ogron grinned to that. He snapped his fingers, and two bottles of vodka appeared in his hand. "These are from the realm of Urania. They say it electrifies the spirit to the point of no-boredom-possible. What do you say? Maybe we can pay a visit to some fairies afterwards."

Stormy played with her dark locks teasingly, and looked as if she was considering it. But inside, she was barely stopping herself from screaming, with the perverse need of excitement and violence.

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"My lady, please let me worship you."

Darcy took a sip from her liquor, with an annoyed expression. This was the sixth night she was spending with Tristan, and she wondered why she had not abandoned him already. The boy toys were delicate at the first night, and bearable at the second. But after that, all Darcy could see in front of her was a brain dead puppy. No matter how good he looked, she did not want him inside her that night.

But she did not want to sleep lonely neither.

"Do you want to make me happy?" She asked him in a low, sultry voice, which made the young man jump with glee. "Yes, my lady, anything you desire!" She rolled her eyes.

"This room is a mess. Fix it." He instantly obeyed, and started to tidy up her clothes, bags and books around. She pulled her bare legs to her chest and closed her eyes. She had to be happier tonight. After years of power struggle with the fairies, they had won. She felt proud, victorious. She was the girl who grew up believing she was cursed, that she would never have any power. If she had not confronted her father, she would probably not survive past teenage years. She had every reason to be proud.

But she was not satisfied. All these years, she had a purposeful life because of Icy. Her years at Cloud Tower was all about learning, advancing, perfecting. Now all of this was at its peak, right? Except, there was something else which made her previous years worth living. Something else than her coven or magic.

Riven.

"Your room is fixed, my lady!"

She did not hear him.

She had manipulated Riven with her magic, and used him for the coven. Her magic made him fall in love with her. But Darcy? Had she felt something? She had to get rid of him quickly, because Icy would not tolerate an emotional attachement. And it was no problem, because there had been no emotions at the first place.

Then why was she thinking about him? Why did she longed for him to be in her bed? Probably for sex, she thought, they used to have so much fun. (you just want to sleep with him because you are lonely)

(enough with this, Icy would think it is pathetic)

"My lady?"

"WHAT?"

She had not intended to scream as loud. Tristan shivered like a scared kitten. Seeing that made her snap. She could not take this anymore. She had saved him from suicide, right? Well then, she could give it back to him.

She made a knife appear magically. She wanted to see his blood. She remembered thinking it was beautiful. "Come to bed, honey. Don't be scared." He crawled to bed, waiting for her next order. She made him lie on his back comfortably. Hiding the knife behind her back, she kissed his lips one last time. Still, all she could see was Riven's face. It was the liquor, probably. She was not in love. She was her mother's daughter.

She then pierced his heart. His eyes opened wide in shock, pain and horror. She smiled to him and whispered.

"Haven't you heard? Witches make really bad girlfriends."

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It had been an intense night, but Icy was far from being tired. Valtor was showing her the plans of their future castle. They could not live in Cloud Tower forever.

"This is perfect for the locations of Alfea. I say we erase the fairy school now and erect this." Icy traced the plans with her nails, while Valtor nodded and took her hand in his. "We can proceed with business tomorrow, what do you think?"

"This comes from a workaholic like you?"

"No work tonight, but all play." Valtor grinned in a sinister way, releasing her hair from the ponytail. "Now, lets see my present for you." Icy looked confused to that. "You mean the throne?"

Valtor smiled. "Not that. That was too predictable, don't you think? You will love this a lot more."

With the snap of his fingers, two guards of Cloud Tower opened their door and threw a man inside. His hands and legs were tied. His hair was a mess, but overall, he looked healthy. But emotionally, he was wrecked. Valtor had made a live show of Bloom's end. He sure had watched that. The amount of hate and disgust in his eyes while looking at Icy said so.

"You brought me a prince charming." She said playfully, and after glancing at Valtor, she came close to Sky and grabbed him from his neck. Her sharp nails were piercing his skin, but Sky did not pay attention to the pain. He screamed his hate and despair. Receiving an humiliating laughter from Icy. "Do you think your princess is thinking about you right now? I left her mind open, you know… But I doubt that. Before I trapped her, all I saw in her eyes were hatred. She will spend all those years thinking about me, and it will pain her endlessly to know that she will never be able to kill me. She will never once think about you. You are so insignificant…"

"Go to hell." He hardly spoke the words, she was still choking him. She pushed him back and he harshly fell on his back. "I will make you suffer. For days, or weeks. Until you can't take it anymore and you beg for your queen to kill you."

She made a gesture towards the guards. "Take him to a solitary cell." The guards bowed to her and left with Sky. The door closed. "So?" Valtor asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not disappointing." Icy answered.

"You are so generous with compliments."

"Mhm." She stepped out of her dress. Now all she wore was white laced lingerie. She helped Valtor while he undressed. They crawled to bed together, their legs mingled together and Icy rested her head on his chest. She felt tired all of a sudden. "I was thinking about a name for our son." Icy murmured sleepily. Valtor moved his head slightly to have eye contact with her. "What have you come up with?"

"Victor."

A couple of seconds passed. Valtor said the name out loud to hear himself say it. The thought of having an heir awakened a new sense of pride, also a new responsibility. "I love that name." He turned his face towards Icy, now they looked each other eye to eye. "And I love you." Icy's eyes widened, a chill passed through her body. He had said that out loud. Not waiting for an answer, he kissed her frostbitten lips as passionately as ever. She felt her head spinning. She was intoxicated, but she had not been drinking a drop. It was victory. Victor. Her man. This unison.

"You sure do."

Valtor blinked. "That is not how you should respond to that." He loved everything about her at that moment, the woman the whole world despised and wished death upon. The tone in her voice as she replied in a smug way, the look in her face right now, the full awareness of her affect on him. "What kind of an answer would you expect from me?" She started to rediscover his chest with her diamond sharp nails. The tingling mixed with slight pain, and he shivered with pleasure. "Maybe this?" He parted his lips slightly, awaiting for another kiss.

He got a pillow on his face instead.

"Actually, I think I will sleep. Good night."

She turned the other way and pulled the blanket all over herself. Valtor's lips stood parted for a second, then he smiled to himself and lied on his back. Spending a lifetime with this woman. The definition for hell for every sane person. For him, paradise.

"Good night."

He did not sleep for hours. He thought about their son, and wondered when she would become pregnant. They should probably build their castle at where Alfea stood, deleting the fairy school from existence. They would be close to Cloud Tower, and… What did he say? No work today. No planning and scheming either. He closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, and he could almost see his son's face when he would grow up to be a powerful wizard.

Icy did not easily sleep either. Her mind drifted towards Bloom, knowing full well she was thinking about her. Hopelessly. Desperately. Her heart and soul would be frozen with hatred and bitterness. This was the end she desired for her.

She thought about Valtor. How right it felt to be his wife. Whatever their souls were made of, they completed each other perfectly. She would carry his son, and give birth to him. For a second, she found the idea ironic. Her power came from things dying, ending. She could whither a tree to death if she touched it. Could a life be created in her womb? Could she, for once, bring life to world, instead of death? That would be a miracle. This child should be special. And it made perfect sense, he was their child after all.

She thought about her sisters. She had not failed them, after all. She was sure of being appreciated, and she had no doubt whatsoever of their future loyalty. She would not leave them behind in any case either, that was out of question. According to fairy ethics she had no morals or principles, but a witch had her own sense of honor. A coven would stay a coven forever.

Before drifting to sleep, she thought about herself. She remembered her childhood but it felt like it was someone else's life now. Her life began with power. It even gave her a new name. The desire she felt for it would never go away, and she would never be satisfied. People would say that was a curse, but for her it was life in its most natural form. She thrived in new challenges, anticipated new enemies. Each person she had defeated was a way of saying _I survived. Not you. I._ She would stay the same always and forever, as the proud queen she was.

The winter which lied in the queen's heart would expand to the universe, giving every living creature a taste of nature in its darkest form.

 _Author's End Note: Hello! Thank you so much for reading, this was the last chapter. Writing this story gave me so many feelings, and I am happy that I was able to finish it! I would love to hear your thoughts. Even if you hated this story, I would like to know that._

 _Also, I dedicate this story to my friend "xeadasreign". Her appreciation of this story gave me so much motivation to write._

 _Love, Oceanborn_


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